A Pianist's Tale
by sakuraigo3838
Summary: Fifteen year old Hinamori is annoyed when her parents force her to learn piano from an arrogant childprodigy, Hitsugaya. Can these piano lessons help Hinamori in the end? HitsuHina AU
1. Chapter 1: Bad Luck

**The Pianist**

Chapter 1: Bad luck

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

A/N: Hi, this is my first Bleach fanfic, so I hope you'll enjoy it!

"Momo, we've got some good news for you!" Mrs. Hinamori looked at her fifteen year old daughter as food was set on the table.

"Hontou ni? Tell me, I don't want to be left out!" Momo pretended to pout, making her father laugh. She chewed eagerly, thanking the waiter as he poured tea for her.

"The first good thing is that your mother has won a nice baby Grand piano in a lucky draw. And the second thing is that we've arranged piano lessons with a Hitsugaya Toushirou because then we can put the baby Grand to use. Hitsugaya Toushirou is one of the best piano players in Japan," Mrs. Hinamori smiled.

"Sugoi! That's great, mom…" Momo's eyes widened as the full meaning of the overall news hit her, causing her to nearly cough up the vegetables she had recently swallowed. Taking a sip of tea to calm herself down, she looked up desperately, searching her parents' eyes for a hint of a joke, but to her dismay, found none.

"D-demo…at home…w-we don't have e-enough room for the piano! And, um…oh yeah, the new school term is tomorrow! It'll be so hectic, I can't learn piano!" the fifteen year old protested. "Why can't you donate it to a charity?" She just didn't have enough time for piano!

"The piano will fit nicely into our living room in that corner by the television, and school's no problem, your first lesson with Hitsugaya-sensei will take place three weeks after school starts, on a Friday from three to four pm. We'd like our gifted daughter to become a good piano player, and Hitsugaya-sensei seems to be the boy for the job…" Mr. Hinamori chuckled.

"Boy? He's a boy!" Momo exclaimed. She had always thought that teachers were as old as her parents, if not older.

"Hitsugaya sensei is fifteen years old. Although he is your age, you should still respect him like you would anyone else," Mr. Hinamori said. And, as the last course was finished, "Check, please." The last part was obviously directed at a waiter passing by.

Hinamori Momo inhaled deeply, absorbing the information. She was doomed. Why did her life have to change from good to bad?

**The Next Day**

"Hey Rukia, Inoue, Tatsuki, Isane!" Hinamori greeted her friends in the order she saw them. "Long time no see!"

Rukia stretched and yawned, showing a bit of her stomach. She opened her violet eyes and grinned. "Hey everyone, I'm really glad to see you guys again. Vacation was so boring-big brother Byakuya-"

"Momo-chan, I've missed you so much!" Inoue interrupted, hugging Hinamori tightly before proceeding to greet everyone else in an open manner.

At that moment the bell rang, signally for everyone to hurry to their classrooms. Say goodbye to Orihime and Isane, Hinamori, Rukia and Tatsuki went to their classroom at the end of the corridor.

"Welcome, class, to you first year in Seireitei High. I'm Kominara Hinata, that's Kominara-sensei to you, and I will be your class teacher this year. Before we introduce ourselves, however, we have a new student from Kyoto. His name is Hitsugaya Toushirou. Toushirou, welcome to Seireitei High." At that point, Kominara-sensei stepped away, revealing a rather short boy. His hair was snow white and spiky, and his blue-green eyes stared at everyone on the room. Hinamori shivered, and although the room was warm, she felt her body turn cold. Come to think of it, she'd heard that name somewhere before. Hitsugaya…Toushirou…

Then Hinamori heard her mother's voice in her ear, "One of the best piano players in Japan…your new piano teacher…"

"You!" Hinamori blurted out before se could stop herself. She had risen from her chair and was glaring at the boy who had ruined her life. _Too late to go back now, _she thought grimly.

"You know this shrimp?" Ichigo asked. He ruffled his orange hair. "That's interesting."

Toushirou's expression went cold at the word 'shrimp'. Turning to the offending boy, Toushirou said smoothly, "I am not a shrimp, you orange strawberry." There were titters. An angry look passed through the new boy's eyes before they settled on the girl who had risen from her chair. Toushirou's expression softened slightly. "Who are you?" he queried.

"Hinamori Momo," the girl replied. Her voice was barely above a whisper; her courage seemed to have deserted her. "You're supposed to be my piano teacher in three weeks." The class began to murmur, and Hinamori clenched her fists; she was all tense.

Hitsugaya's eyes cleared. He remembered now. In three weeks time, he would be teaching this Hinamori Momo. But why did she have to mention his piano teacher career? Now his fans would never stop coming.

"Ano, gomen ne…for my rudeness," Hinamori murmured, feeling herself blush.

"It's okay-"Toushirou replied. A brief smile flickered across his face, and the teacher began to talk again.

_What a polite boy,_ Hinamori thought, smiling slightly. _I've never met a boy as nice as-_

Hitsugaya suddenly spoke, breaking through Hinamori's thoughts as he finished his sentence. "-bed wetter Momo."

All but Rukia, Tatsuki and the teacher laughed. Hinamori sat down, stunned. She had thought this new student would be so nice…but in the end, he was just the same as any other boy.

"Gomen nasai," the boy said, but to Hinamori, it seemed more like a leer than anything else. Feeling that she had had enough, Hinamori ran out of her homeroom, sobbing quietly. Although everyone was still in hysterics, Hitsugaya felt his insides tear up. Excusing himself from class, Toushirou ran after his classmate, wondering if there was still enough time for him to rectify his mistake.

In the meantime, Hinamori ran, her footsteps leading her to the ladies' bathroom. _I'm having such bad luck lately,_ she thought mournfully.

A/N: This chapter was pretty short, but it looked so long on paper…never mind. Please review!


	2. Chapter 2: A Bad Start

Chapter 2: A Bad Start

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! This chapter is longer (just barely five pages on Word excluding the author's notes), I can't guarantee that all my chapters will be longer. I'm also going to put a 'Japanese dictionary' at the end for those who don't know a certain word/phrase. And lastly, a word to those who reviewed…

CSENTIMENTAL VALYOU: Thanks for the review, although one chapter might be as short as chapter one. I promise the others won't be, though!

Sasusaku4eva101: Thanks for telling me, and no, I didn't discontinue this fanfic. I changed the status, so thanks.

Jane H.A.S. Doe: Thanks for the compliments! I really appreciate them!

Cryptic Innocence: How about I update every two three days? If you want to know, this whole story's been written out from start to end and been edited about a million times…XD

Sometime: Yeah, I guess. A lot sooner than some other fanfics I've written, I suppose… Thanks for the review!

And back to the story…

Hitsugaya Toushirou ran, panting. Where could that girl have gotten to? Soft sobbing suddenly caught his attention, and the boy rounded the corner to see Hinamori not far ahead of him. Reaching out, Hitsugaya caught his classmate's wrist and watched as she turned, eyes blazing with hatred.

"Go away!"

"No, we've got to get back to class. We might be missing important things."

"As if I care! Missing important stuff is better than having to go back and face the humiliation you put me through!"

"Look, Momo-"

"Don't call me that!"

"Hinamori-chan, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. In any case, you know your classmates well. Before long, they'll forget-"

Hinamori glared at Hitsugaya coldly. "You're just doing this so you'll get paid more for my piano lessons, right? Well, you won't!"

What little patience and regret Hitsugaya once had was gone.

"Think what you want," the teen said quietly, his bangs covering his eyes. "But in the end, you're just a rich, spoilt little girl."

There was a silence, filled only by the occasional talking of a teacher. Then, without a word, Hinamori ran the rest of the way to the toilets, fresh tears of anger streaming down her cheeks. It took all of Hitsugaya's will power to not go after the girl. Even as he returned to his now silent homeroom the teen could not help feeling a keen sense of loss. He had made one enemy and no friends. Great.

**Lunchtime, with the girls**

"Hinamori, cheer up! That jerk has no feelings whatsoever, so his words are meaningless! Don't mind him!" Rukia's voice was gentle yet encouraging. "Right?"

"Definitely!" Isane's strong voice filled Hinamori with envy. Ever since they were young, Hinamori had always wished she could be confident like Isane. "That spiky-headed shrimp has no idea what he's talking about." There were giggles concerning Isane's nickname for Toushirou, and Hinamori smiled weakly. She shoved some chips into her mouth.

"Thanks, guys," Hinamori said. "I needed that."

"Anytime. If that…spiky headed shrimp gives you any more trouble, tell us, and we'll beat him for you!" Tatsuki grinned, and Rukia began punching the air to emphasize her friend's words.

"What's our next class?" Hinamori asked, changing the subject.

"Inoue checked her timetable, frowning slightly. "English," she said at last. "I wonder what we'll be doing…?"

**With the boys**

"That Kuchiki Rukia is hot!" Ichigo yelled, grinning at the group of boys gathered around him. Hitsugaya rolled his eyes. How immature could these guys get?

Roars of agreement followed Ichigo's words, but suddenly all eyes were fixed on Hitsugaya. Unaccustomed to the stares everyone was giving him, the new boy shifted uncomfortably and tried to look back, but failed miserably.

"What about you, eh? Do you think Rukia's hot?" Keigo, who had recently introduced himself to be Ichigo's friend, asked. "You know, the one with black hair and a long bit coming down the middle-?"

"I-Iie," Hitsugaya replied flatly. He could feel himself blushing.

"No? Do you like Hinamori then?" I heard you stood her up. Hate is the first step to love, you know-"

"Urusei! I don't like that spoilt brat, and I never will!" Hitsugaya stormed off, leaving the others 'ooh'ing and 'ah'ing after him. So much for trying to make friends out of those guys.

**After Lunch**

"Welcome to English class! I am Unohana-sensei, and I will be your English teacher. Let's introduce ourselves in English first…I have yet to know your names…"

Hinamori closed her eyes as the introductions began, letting her mind wander. Although her friends had done a good job consoling her, she could not stop thinking about Hitsugaya Toushirou. He had accused her of being a rich, spoilt brat. But Seireitei High was a high-class, expensive school. Did that meant that Hitsugaya had had to save up and study hard all his life just to get in…?

A tap from behind brought Hinamori back to the present. Whipping around, she saw a pair of blue-green eyes gazing steadily at her. "It's your turn to introduce yourself," Hitsugaya whispered.

Hinamori's eyes darted back to the front in time to see Unohana-sensei's eyes look at her.

"Hinamori Momo," she said quickly. "Pleased to meet you."

"Add an 'I am' before your name next time; it sounds more polite. I'm pleased to meet you too," Unohana-sensei smiled before continuing down the row.

Reluctantly, Momo turned back to the boy behind her.

"Arigatou," she whispered.

"No problem," the boy said, expressionless. "Bed wetter Momo."

Hinamori turned to face the front again, clearly angry. "Make sure I never talk to you again," she hissed fiercely, and Hitsugaya smirked. Annoying Hinamori was getting to be quite entertaining.

In the meantime Tatsuki stared at Hitsugaya, making sure that he wasn't provoking Hinamori in any way. She then turned to find Keigo gaping at her.

"You like-?" he mouthed, and she knew who he was referring to. Tatsuki swore to beat him up later. But as she couldn't do anything now, the girl focused her attention on Unohana-sensei.

"Today we will be studying auto-biographies and how to use one. As an introduction, we will take turns standing in front of the class and talking about ourselves-in English-for five minutes. Since you should have done this in Junior High, this can be counted as review work." The teacher smiled. "How about we have Hitsugaya Toushirou up first?"

Everyone clapped politely as the new student walked to the front, but all Hinamori could feel was disgust. _Let's see what kind of a life he's had, if he thinks I'm a rich, spoilt brat,_ she thought spitefully.

Hitsugaya felt reluctant to go up to the front and tell his life story. How many times did he have to feel the pain? How many times did he have to endure the sorrow? He shouldn't have to go through this.

"A-ano, Unohana-sensei…please excuse me, I don't want to do this," Hitsugaya mumbled, feeling like a five year old again.

"It's alright, Hitsugaya-kun, everyone feels nervous when they go to the front. Take a deep breath and let it go."

_Why is he hesitating? As far as I'm concerned, he has no shame whatsoever,_ Hinamori thought, confused. _Unless he has something he doesn't want to tell us about…_

A wave of kindness suddenly swept over her. Getting up, the girl walked across to the room and put her hand on the boy's shoulder. Hitsugaya looked back at her in surprise.

"We won't laugh, just tell us. We might forget sooner or later, right?" Hinamori said encouragingly, then pretended to look sad. "But if you don't trust us…well…"

"Get off me," pushing the girl away, Hitsugaya took a deep breath and prepared to witness everything all over again. His English was perfect.

"I'll make things short. I was born in Osaka, but we moved to Kyoto when I was two. At the age of five I began to learn the piano, and since we were rich I could afford a teacher. I progressed well and by the age of ten I was already playing in concerts, therefore making lots of money. I thought that nothing bad would happen, but in the end, I was wrong."

Hitsugaya paused. Tears threatened to spill, but he blinked them away. Sensing a potential breakdown, Unohana-sensei said, "You can stop now, if you like."

"No, I'm already too far gone," the boy smiled weakly before continuing. "On my eleventh birthday my parents took me out for dinner. Lots of people came, and my parents got drunk. I had no idea, so when we were driving home, we had an accident. I was the only survivor, and so I've had to become a piano teacher and I've supported myself like that ever since. I only moved to Tokyo this year." With that Hitsugaya fell on his knees, shaking. The classroom was silent, save for the girls who were sniffing. Kneeling by the boy's side, Unohana-sensei apologized.

Hinamori couldn't believe her ears. This cold, arrogant baka was actually an orphan? _He's had to become like this so that he won't have to suffer the loss of those closest to him again,_ she realised sadly.

At that moment, the bell rang, signalling for everyone to go to their next classes.

"For homework, please write a biography about yourself. In English," Unohana-sensei then bent down to her student. "Since you're so busy, I'll let you rest today, ok?"

"Iie, I'm fine, thank you," Hitsugaya had regained his composure. "I'll do the homework, like everyone else."

At that moment the boy felt a familiar hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry. Don't push yourself too hard, okay?" Hinamori whispered into his ear before hurrying after her friends. Hitsugaya watched them leave, then exited the classroom, shaking his head. He would never understand girls.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review!

_Japanese Dictionary:_

_-chan,-san-kun: -chan is used for females around the same age as each other, and –kun is the same, but for boys. –san is a polite form for both genders._

_Iie: No_

_Urusei: Shut up_

_Sensei: Teacher (e.g Kominara-sensei: literally, 'teacher Kominara')_

_Baka: Idiot_

_Arigatou: Thank you_

_Ano: Um_


	3. Chapter 3: Extra Lessons

Chapter 3: Extra Lessons

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

A/N: Third chapter is up! Thanks for all the reviews! Also, if you notice any OOC in the story, please forgive me!

Chika-rin: Haha, thanks for the support:D

CSENTIMENTAL VALYOU: Thanks for the feedback. Although I'm not going to repost the second chapter I will change it in my records. (I'm happy with my English to Japanese translations too! )

Sasusaku4eva101: No, I can only get my hands on the episodes people post up on Youtube. If I could get the manga now…I wouldn't. I kind of know what's going on already.

Cryptic Innocence: You think so?  Oh well, I won't say anything for now…

Anyhow, back to the story…

"How was school? I found it fun-I made so many new friends!" Orihime squealed in delight as she and Isane met up with the others.

"Au contraire; I made an enemy, if you still remember," Hinamori grumbled, weighing her school bag. It was heavy from all the homework the teachers had given her. "Although I do feel sorry for him," she added, as she recalled Hitsugaya's sad tale.

"Why? I don't see any reason for you to be," Isane said. "From what you told me, I've concluded that Hitsugaya Toushirou is a jerk-"

"Speak of the devil," Rukia muttered as the afore mentioned student walked past with his shoulders slouched, frowning.

"Ano, Hitsugaya-kun!" Hinamori called out, running up to the boy.

"What do you want?" Hitsugaya gritted his teeth, already on the defensive. Hinamori saw the perfect chance to show that she was not a rich, spoiled brat.

"Look, if you're really busy, I can come around today-this afternoon-and help you with your household chores. I'm really sorry about everything, so I was just wondering if I could-"

"Don't pity me, bed wetter Momo. I hate being pitied, most of all by a no-good baka like you. I don't need help. Get out of my way," pushing the girl aside, Hitsugaya was about to walk away when he was blocked again.

"I was just trying to help, you insensitive jerk! Why can't you move on and accept the people who try to help you?" Hinamori yelled, feeling hurt. How could Hitsugaya live on his own, without any friends or family? She was on the verge of tears. How could he reject her like this?

"Momo-chan, leave him," Inoue pleaded nervously. "If he doesn't need any help, then that's alright, ne?"

"No, it's not!" although Hinamori knew how much attention she was attention she was attracting, she didn't care. The least she could do now was to make this boy see reason. "Why won't you accept help? Is it because you don't want to get so close to anyone else, so that you won't have to suffer if they die?"

Hinamori had struck a nerve. The courtyard was silent; even the wind had stopped howling. Then Hitsugaya slapped her. Hard.

"Don't. Even. Mention. That," the boy said, as he slapped Hinamori with each word. Rubbing her sore cheeks, Hinamori stared at Hitsugaya, shock in her eyes. Then, before he could react, Hinamori had tackled him onto the ground and was raining soft blows on him, crying gently. Two strong hands suddenly reached down and pulled the teenagers away from each other.

"Hinamori-chan and Hitsugaya-kun, what a shame," Kominara-sensei tutted. "I'm rather surprised. But we can't have this kind of fighting on the school grounds. Hinamori, detention two days from now at lunchtime."

"Demo, Hitsugaya slapped me first!" Hinamori cried, feeling the injustice of it all settle upon her shoulders.

"Is that so?" Kominara-sensei raised her eyebrows. "In that case then, detention for you too, Hitsugaya-kun. Have a good afternoon reflecting on what you've done wrong. We don't accept kindergarten fighting anymore." With that, Kominara-sensei walked away.

Putting her school bag back on, Hinamori hurried out of the gates, her eyes puffy from crying. Humiliated twice by the same boy. And on her first day, too.

**At Hinamori's house, after dinner**

"Hitsugaya Toushirou's in your class? That's nice," Mr. Hinamori remarked, flipping through his newspaper.

"No it's not, dad! That boy humiliated me at school today by insulting me. He also slapped me when I offered him some help, and we both got a detention!" Hinamori exclaimed. "I can't learn piano from someone like that!" There was no way her parents couldn't cancel her lessons now.

"Don't worry about it, Momo-chan, Hitsugaya is just teasing. I'm sure he doesn't mean anything. And if you got into trouble for offering help, maybe he didn't need any in the first place. Finally, if you can't work with him, then it'll be good opportunities for you to try working with someone you dislike ne?"

"How can you say such things?" Hinamori gasped. "It's as if you're totally biased towards him or something!"

Mrs. Hinamori stopped her knitting, sighing. "Hinamori, do you know that poor child's past?"

Hinamori had not expected this question. "Y-yes, that was why I was offering help. I wanted to go to his place this afternoon and help him do his household chores…"

"That's sweet of you, but in a sense, you're hurting his pride. What he might think you're trying to say is that he can't do well on his own, even after four years. Leave him be."

Feeling that her fate was sealed, Hinamori retired to her room to finish of the rest of her homework.

**At Hitsugaya's house, 11:59pm**

No matter how Hitsugaya twisted and turned, he couldn't get to sleep. Why was that? Because of Hinamori Momo. He couldn't sleep because he'd hurt her feelings. "I'll say sorry to her tomorrow after history," he said aloud before closing his eyes. This time, sleep came for him.

**The Next Day**

"Which room are we in?" Inoue asked. "I'm so glad we're in the same class for history!"

"Yeah," Rukia agreed. She flipped her timetable open, her eyes scanning the 'Tuesday' column. "Looks like we're in that room, U301," the girl said, pointing at a classroom across from Hinamori's, Rukia's and Tatsuki's homeroom.

The class was noisy. The teacher had not arrived yet and Rukia ducked as a stick of chalk flew over her head. Looking in the direction the chalk had flown from, Rukia realised that it had come from Ichigo, who was trying to start up a conversation. Before Rukia could cross the room and beat the living daylights out of the strawberry-headed baka, the door opened.

"Class, please take your seats," Students scrambled for their seats as a man entered the room. He had brown, wavy hard and, strangely enough, wore a lab coat. He wore glasses and his hands were big, perhaps capable of crushing three soda cans at once.

"I am Aizen Sousuke," your new history teacher," Aizen-sensei said. Putting a huge stack of folders and papers on the teachers' desk, the tall teacher then extracted several pieces of paper, ripped them into quarters and handed one quarter to each student. He ended by giving each some tape.

"Write your names on your pieces of paper and stick them on your shirts," Aizen-sensei instructed. "Now let's start the lesson."

Hinamori sighed and looked out the window. History was one of her weakest subjects. _I have no interest in history whatsoever,_ she thought.

"Hinamori Momo? Please answer the question," Aizen-sensei's voice rang through the fifteen year old's ears. Snapping out of her reverie, Hinamori looked past the teacher at the blackboard. It was black.

"When did the Cuban Missile Crisis take place?" Aizen-sensei asked, repeating his question slowly.

"Ano…" Hinamori thought for a moment. She vaguely remembered her old teacher mentioning it in Junior High the year before. It was something like…19…got it! That had to be the answer!

Lifting her head, Hinamori replied, "June 4th, 1989."

The class was silent until a girl called Hina cracked up.

"You silly twit! That's the Tian an men Square incident in Beijing! Everyone knows that!"

Hinamori felt herself redden as the class laughed. Aizen-sensei smiled sympathetically.

"Calm down class. Everyone makes mistakes. The Cuban Missile Crisis took place from October 18-29, 1962. Don't fret about it, Hinamori."

Aizen-sensei's words confronted Hinamori. Making an effort to forget about the incident, the fifteen year old paid closer attention to her teacher for the rest of the lesson.

Forty five minutes later, the bell rang. Everyone packed their books and left in twos and threes.

"Come on, Hinamori, let's walk to maths together!" Rukia called out, but Hinamori shook her head.

"Iie, you go ahead. I need to do something first."

As Rukia left, Hinamori shouldered her school bag and slowly walked to the front of the classroom, where Aizen Sousuke was still packing. Little did she know that Hitsugaya was just outside the door waiting to apologise to her for his rudeness the day before.

**With Hitsugaya**

What was taking Hinamori so long? Rukia had already left without her. Hearing voices in the classroom, Hitsugaya listened closely, wondering what Hinamori-chan could possibly be saying to Aizen-sensei.

"Aizen-sensei, you might have already noticed, but I'm not too good at history. I-I want to get better," the boy heard Hinamori stammer.

"Is that so? I can arrange extra history lessons with you, but only three weeks from now on a Friday, from 2:30-4:30pm," Aizen-sensei replied. "Is that fine with you?"

There was a silence, but when Hinamori replied, her tone surprised Hitsugaya.

"Sure!"

Why was she so eager? Hitsugaya thought for a moment before the answer hit him. Too angry to speak, the white-haired child-prodigy stormed away. He wouldn't apologise to that baka now.

A/N: Thanks for reading; I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please review!

_Japanese Dictionary: _

_Ano: Um_

_-chan,-san,-kun: -chan is addressed to girls who are the same age as another. –kun is the same, but for boys. –san is a polite form for both genders._

_Baka: Idiot_

_Sensei: Teacher (e.g. Kominara-sensei literally 'Teacher Kominara')_

_Demo: But _

_Iie: No_


	4. Chapter 4: Acquaintances

Chapter 4: Acquaintances

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

A/N: There's not really much to say. I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)

"I'm gonna quit piano, I'm gonna quit piano!" Hinamori cheered in a sing-song voice. "Aizen-sensei is the exact opposite of Hitsugaya-kun!" Humming, Hinamori skipped home. The rest of the school day had passed by without incident, and Hinamori was glad for that. She had had enough humiliation in two days.

"I'm home!" Hinamori cried out as she flung the door wide open. She was surprised to find her mother waiting for her with a slight frown.

"Hinamori Momo, please come in and close the door behind you. We need to talk," Mrs. Hinamori said. Momo gulped; whenever her mother used her full name she knew she was in trouble. Closing the door, Momo sat down on the couch. Mrs. Hinamori followed suite, then sighed.

"Honey, what's this about your history teacher giving you extra lessons?" Mrs. Hinamori held up a piece of paper, namely a letter. "Didn't you realise…your first piano lesson is on exactly the same day? The two lessons clash!"

"Hontou ni?" Hinamori asked, feigning surprise. "But oka-san, history's so much more important than piano, you know that!"

Mrs. Hinamori shook her head. "That may be true, Momo-chan, but we arranged your lessons with Hitsugaya Toushirou even before this. It would be mean and selfish of us to back out now. I'll send an email to your history teacher apologising on your behalf and saying that the extra lessons won't be necessary." That said, Mrs. Hinamori got up and went into her study. "I'm counting on you to apologise to Hitsugaya-kun tomorrow," she called back.

Hinamori swallowed hard. Hitsugaya would never forgive her now.

**At Hitsugaya's house**

Hitsugaya Toushirou could not believe what Hinamori had done. Gone and ditched her piano lessons indeed! In other words, Hinamori had thrown at him the worst kind of insult possible. Staring sadly at the photo of his parents, Hitsugaya apologised to them. He had failed them, after all. Looking at the photo, the child-prodigy suddenly realised something. Rushing into his room, Hitsugaya carefully put all his papers aside. It would not do to have a messy room.

Ah, here it was. Picking the cheque from the Hinamoris up, Hitsugaya inspected it. The cheque was still in good condition. Putting the object in his school bag, Hitsugaya sighed and looked out the window.

He would return the cheque to Hinamori tomorrow, no matter what.

**The Next Day**

"Momo-chan, you look exceptionally angry today. Why's that?" Isane asked as the five girls walked down the street.

"I tried to get extra history lessons from Aizen-sensei, but my parents wouldn't allow it. They still want me to take piano lessons from Hitsugaya Toushirou," Hinamori spat the last sentence out as if she had just been forced to kiss an insect.

"Aw, that's a bummer," Inoue whined. "I thought history was supposed to be more important that piano?"

"Yes, but oka-san said that she'd already arranged the piano lessons beforehand, so I have to go to piano," Hinamori said gloomily.

"Hinamori-chan!" an all too familiar voice called out. "I need to talk to you for a moment."

The girl turned to see Hitsugaya running towards her, a yellowish piece of paper in his right hand. Excusing herself, Hinamori made her way towards Hitsugaya.

"Hinamori-chan, I'm sorry for all the trouble I gave you yesterday. Since you decided to quit my piano lessons, please give this cheque back to your parents," Hitsugaya said, holding out the yellow slip. He had rehearsed this several times over.

Hinamori stared at the cheque as it flapped in the wind. "How…did you know…?" she whispered.

Hitsugaya looked away. So the girl had decided to take the hard way-but it was inevitable. She wasn't that stupid.

"I-I overheard Aizen-sensei's conversation with you. At the time, I was planning on saying sorry about all the things I put you through, but now we're even, ne?"

Hinamori blushed. "Gomen ne, Hitsugaya-kun," she muttered miserably. "For being so rude."

Then, to her surprise, Hitsugaya grinned. Although it was a two second grin, Hinamori saw the immature fifteen year old boy hiding in the smile. She felt herself melt inside, but the cold, distant Hitsugaya was back again. "Forget it," he said. "Just take the cheque and go."

"Demo, Hitsugaya-kun, you've got it all wrong! Keep the cheque, my parents cancelled the extra lessons."

"Hmph, you're such a nuisance. Toushirou inserted the cheque in his pocked and walked off, turning back to yell, "Be punctual for the lesson, bed wetter Momo!"

Although he had come close to humiliating her again, Momo simply shook her head and returned to her friends. There had been no malice in that insult, she was sure of it. "Well, that's one problem solved," she thought. "Now, what about detention…?"

**In the library, lunchtime**

_Where's Shirou-chan? _Hinamori thought. Kominara-sensei had told her via note to go to the library for detention. While she had been waiting, Hinamori had forced herself to come up with an embarrassing name for Toushirou. 'Shirou-chan' had been the only thing she could think of. Hey, she had to get revenge somehow! Leaning against the librarian's desk, Hinamori observed the library.

It was a well-lit library. Books were crammed on the shelves, and in the middle of the room there were desks for the students to work. A row of computers sat on the far right corner of the room. Paintings and posters were plastered on the walls. Some were of historical figures, others of beautiful lands that stretched out to the sea.

"You got Kominara-sensei's note, too?" Hitsugaya's voice sounded out in the still silence, making Hinamori jump.

"Yeah…" she muttered. After that they were silent, wondering when their punishment was going to be carried out. Finally…

"Are you two serving detention today?" a man stepped out from behind the librarian's desk.

"Yes, Kurotsuchi-sensei," Hitsugaya's expression was emotionless.

"Well, then, your punishment is to help me file some books onto the shelves! MUAHAHAHA!" Kurotsuchi-sensei threw his head back and laughed, and Hinamori could not help but sweat drop. When the laughter had subsided, Kurotsuchi-sensei said, "In any case, I'll leave you to it. Tell me when you're done," the librarian took his leave, but not before dumping a huge stack of books in front of the teenagers. "Get to work! You have forty-five minutes, maximum!"

Splitting the books between them, Hinamori proceeded to place the books on their respective shelves, watching Hitsugaya out of the corner of her eye. He seemed to be wandering from row to row like a lost puppy. Hinamori was about to offer help when she remembered her mother's words, "…you're trying to say he can't handle things on his own after four years." She closed her mouth, smiling. If he wanted help he would come to her himself. "Arigatou, oka-san, you just stopped an argument for me," Hinamori smiled before resuming her work.

Fifteen minutes later found Hinamori climbing down a ladder, panting slightly. She had finally finished, and as there was half an hour of free time left, she looked around, searching for her partner. He was nowhere to be seen. Not wanting him to have already left, Hinamori desperately looked for Hitsugaya, running from aisle to aisle. She finally found the boy lying on the floor in the Romance section, casually reading a book. His pile of books waiting to be filed lay on the ground in a neat stack, untouched.

"S-Shirou-chan!" Why haven't you-?" Momo hissed, eyes widening. "I-I thought you were wandering from aisle to aisle, looking like a lost puppy!"

"That was to deceive Kurotsuchi-sensei," Hitsugaya flipped a page before fixing his blue-green orbs on Hinamori. "Since when have you started calling me 'Shirou-chan' anyway? Don't-it's freaky."

Hitsugaya's nose twitched, and Hinamori instinctively knew he was lying. "Why not?" she whispered. "Tell the truth."

There was a pause. "'Shirou-chan' was my mother's name for me…and it's annoying being called that by you, bed wetter Momo!"

Hinamori ignored the jibe and sat down beside him. "When are you going to file your books?" she asked sweetly.

"Later," the fifteen year old grunted as he flipped another page. Peering at the front cover, Hinamori exclaimed softly, "One hundred and one of the Most Romantic Places in Osaka where you and your Love can Visit! Shirou-chan, I never knew you read these things! Who's the lucky girl?"

Hitsugaya muttered something about entertainment and not liking anyone.

"Ano, Shirou-chan, there're four minutes left of lunch hour. If you don't finish soon, you'll get into even more trouble!" Hinamori warned. If she had had to finish her pile in fifteen minutes, what made this cocky boy think he could finish everything in four minutes?

"Fine, I'll do it! Just stop bugging me!" Hitsugaya glared at Hinamori. "And I told you, don't call me Shirou-chan!" he slammed the book shut. Picking two books up off the stack, Hitsugaya showed the titles to Hinamori. "'Wolves' and 'Night of Death'. Remember these titles." At that moment, Hitsugaya disappeared before Hinamori's eyes. Alarmed, Hinamori ran to the centre of the library, eyes searching desperately for the fifteen year old. She blinked, her eyes opening just as a blur stopped next to her. Hitsugaya reappeared slowly, a few books left in his hands.

"Don't move," he grinned before disappearing again.

Within a minute the boy was back, dusting his hands off. Hinamori stared at him.

"Where'd you learn to run so fast?"

"It's a martial art technique, called Shunpo. It's like a flash attack," Hitsugaya replied proudly, smirking. "If you think I just placed those books anywhere, check yourself. 'Wolves' is in the second aisle from the front door, fifth book to the right on shelf four from the bottom. 'Night of Death' is in the same location except that it's in aisle nineteen."

Hinamori checked, and sure enough the two books were there. Still unable to believe her eyes, Hinamori went back to Hitsugaya.

"You can't just have used Shunpo," the girl protested.

"That's true, so that 'aimless wandering' wasn't just to deceive Kurotsuchi-sensei, it was also me acquainting myself with the place," the boy explained.

"Sugoi, Shirou-chan! Let's tell the librarian that we're done now-our forty-five minutes are up!" Hinamori said, and the two went to inform Kurotsuchi-sensei.

"Alright, you can leave now," the librarian smiled. "If you have detention again, you can come to me!" After laughing and saying goodbye, Hitsugaya and Hinamori left the library.

"Ano, Hinamori-chan," Hitsugaya said.

"Hm?" Hinamori wondered if her partner was going to insult her.

Hitsugaya gulped. "If you want, you can spend an extra hour after piano lessons learning history with me. It doesn't cost anything," he added hastily. But he knew she would reject his offer. He was nothing like Aizen-sensei, who was kind, warm and funny.

Toushirou turned to look at the girl. Hinamori had lifted her head, beaming. "I'd like that. Arigatou, Shirou-chan," she said.

"It's nothing, bed wetter Momo," he replied in a friendly manner, then walked ahead to their next lesson. Hinamori followed, smiling. Hitsugaya Toushirou wasn't such a bad person after all.

A/N: Thanks for reading. Please review!

_Japanese Dictionary:_

_Sensei: Teacher (e.g. Aizen-sensei literally 'teacher Aizen)_

_-chan, -san, -kun: -chan is used for girls or kids the same age as other people, and –kun is the same, but for boys (or kids). –san is polite form, for both genders._

_Hontou ni: Really_

_Oka-san: Mother_

_Gomen ne: Sorry_

_Demo: But_

_Shirou-chan: Hinamori's nickname for Hitsugaya. 'Shirou' stands for 'white', but as it's a nickname, a better translation would be 'Whitey-chan'._

_Arigatou: Thank you_

_Shunpo: In this story, 'Shunpo' means 'flash attack', but in Bleach, it means 'flash steps'._

_Ano: Um_


	5. Chapter 5: Learning Piano

Chapter 5: Learning Piano

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, everyone! If you had trouble finding my fanfic, I'm sorry. I just felt I had to change the title after the number of things that had popped up with my fanfic in the search engine…anyhow, enjoy the story!

Three weeks passed by without incident, and before long, the day of Hinamori's first piano lesson arrived. Although she had been on mutual terms with Hitsugaya since their detention, Hinamori was still nervous.

"Hey Hinamori-chan, what do you have on your agenda after school today? If you're free, you can come home with us today. We can do our homework together, and ultimately, have fun!" Inoue said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Don't you remember, Inoue-chan? She's got that troublesome piano lesson today!" Tatsuki reminded her friend.

"Oh, souka…that's too bad. Well, the best of luck with you and Hitsugaya-kun!" Orihime smiled, and Isane nodded her head slightly. Hinamori blushed. "Sure, thanks," she muttered.

"If that baka gives you any trouble, he'll have to answer to us!" Isane grinned, and Rukia patted Hinamori on the shoulder.

"I have an idea. After the piano lesson, maybe you can come over afterwards and do your homework with us them. We only end at five pm, and you lesson ends at four, right?"

Hinamori shook her head. "Thanks for the offers, but I can't. Hitsugaya's teaching me history afterwards, too. That makes my session end at five as well."

"So that's why your parents declined those extra history lessons with Aizen-sensei," Isane said, tapping her head. At that moment the morning bell rang and everybody prepared for their first classes.

All through the school day Hinamori panicked, giving short glances at Hitsugaya. The boy seemed strangely calm, but from the way his eyes darted everywhere, she could tell that he too, was nervous. More than once during the school day the teachers would ask Hinamori to pay attention, but the girl couldn't. She was just too nervous.

The last bell finally rang, signally the end of a long, tedious school day.

"That's all for today, class," Ichimaru-sensei announced. "Science homework is to finish the questions at the bottom of page thirty-three. We'll continue this tomorrow." Hinamori heard Rukia sight with relief; Rukia hated Ichimaru-sensei for his grin and annoying jokes.

Hinamori slowly packed her books away and exited the laboratory. She had just turned the corner when she realised something-she had no idea how to get to Hitsugaya's house. What if her piano teacher had already left, expecting her to come by herself? Oka-san hadn't bothered to tell her, just told her not to worry about it; Hitsugaya would take care of things.

What was she going to do? Panicking, Hinamori turned around to come face to face with Hitsugaya. Gasping, she took a step back.

"What's wrong? Freaked out?" Hitsugaya smirked. "Please don't be scared of me, bed wetter Momo."

"You're too short, I can't be scared of you, Shirou-chan," Hinamori teased, watching his vein pulsing in his temple, but in her heart she was relieved. At least she could still ask about his place now.

"Stop gallivanting, stupid girl," Hitsugaya called. "We're going to my place now."

_We're?_ "I'm coming with you?" Hinamori stammered.

"Naturally," the white-haired boy folded his arms. "Didn't your parents tell you? My house is just across the street from yours, but I always set off later than you because of Shunpo. If you remember, a normal walk from here home takes ten minutes."

"You live just across from me?" Hinamori stared, then smiled. "Let's go, then!" she reached out a hand for Hitsugaya.

In reply, Hitsugaya turned his nose up. "Hmph, whatever." He walked right past Hinamori, who sighed and followed.

"Hitsugaya Toushirou could be so cold at times.

The streets were as busy as ever. Cars drove by, honking at each other every now and then. People returned to their offices; lunch hour was almost over. Couples walked on the pavement, hand in hand. Hinamori felt awkward; she hated the silence and the tension between Hitsugaya and her was overwhelming.

"Hitsugaya-kun, have you made any friends at school?"

Hitsugaya was silent. What could he say? Since his parents' death, he had had trouble making friends. Hitsugaya had never cared about not having friends since then-until he met this happy, care-free Hinamori. From the first day, he had watched her friends tag along like sheep following a shepherd. They had consoled her when she was sad, stuck by her side. But he had no one.

"Ano, Hitsugaya-kun? Did I offend you?" the child prodigy came to his senses and turned to face a worried Hinamori.

"Iie," he replied before stopped. "We're here." Opening the door, he let Hinamori enter first, then went in himself.

Once inside, Hinamori looked around. As the house was in the same neighbourhood, the basic layout was like hers, but Hinamori saw the obvious difference. Hitsugaya's house was much…neater. The living room had several windows. The curtains had been pulled back, letting the sunlight flood in. In the upper right corner was a small dining table set for two. To the left was a huge bookcase and nearby a couch for four. In the lower right sat a TV and some cabinets holding who knew what. And finally, in the lower left…a piano. The piano that Hitsugaya would teach her with. Hinamori turned to the boy.

"I've bought some piano books for you over the weekend, you can learn from those." The teacher said, and then paused, thinking. "How much do you know about music?"

Hinamori blushed. "Just that on a piano there are notes ranging from A-G and that they recur on the keyboard. I also know that there are two squiggly signs on a sheet of music before each line that are called…ano…the Terror cliff and the Butts cliff."

Hitsugaya winced at the names but forced himself to give an encouraging smile. Instead, it looked as if he were about to die. "Well, that's a start," he said unconvincingly. He opened the piano and took the cloth off. "Just so that you know, when you play a note, simply put a finger over it and press down. There are more details to this, but we can go through them later."

"Hitsugaya…sensei, before we go on, I forgot to tell you something," Hinamori said. "I also know how to read notes on a stave and which note is which on a keyboard. Lastly, I know the values of different notes.

"Ah, that's good," Hitsugaya didn't think he had the patience to teach anyone kindergarten stuff. "In that case-" taking a music book 'for Grade 1' out, Hitsugaya opened the book to 'Mary had a little lamb' and placed it in front of Hinamori. "Try playing this, right hand only," he instructed. Hinamori nodded and placed her right hand on the keyboard, fingers searching for the right key. Finding the first note, Hinamori pressed down. Hard.

Hitsugaya jumped as the note reverberated off the white walls of the living room. Hearing the right note, Hinamori played out the rest of the tune. When she was done, she turned around, smiling happily.

"How did I do?" she asked.

Hitsugaya pretended to think. In reality, the feedback was obvious. When he thought it was time, he looked at his pupil, who was waiting expectantly.

"First of all, think of piano as an art, not a finger sumo wrestling match," Hitsugaya said, reddening slightly. "In other words, you were banging the piano. Try not to do that; it sounds noisy and rash."

"Okay!" Hinamori replied, giving her sensei a mock salute. "Anything else?"

Hitsugaya's expression suddenly turned frosty. "About knowing the values of notes and which note was which…you were lying, weren't you?"

Hinamori dipped her head slightly. "Gomen ne, I just didn't want to put you through so much trouble. I only knew of those things from Orihime-chan."

"It would've been better if you'd been honest," the boy said. "I'd have found out anyway."

"Just accept that I was trying to help, won't you?" Hinamori screamed, frustrated.

"I don't need your help, okay? I know how to teach," Hitsugaya retorted. His patience was wearing thin.

"Stop being so arrogant, will you?" Hinamori yelled, waving her arms. "I'm sick of it!"

The room fell silent. "There are many ways to help," Hitsugaya replied, bangs covering his eyes. "But that's not one of them."

Hinamori opened her mouth, then closed it. He was right. What had she been thinking? Trying to repair the situation, the girl smiled weakly.

"Gomen ne," she said. "Suppose we continue the lesson now?"

The piano teacher stood stock still, running his fingers through his hair. For a moment Hinamori was afraid he would plunge her into another argument, but instead, turned and snapped, "Get back to the piano! You're wasting time!"

Assuming that all was forgiven, Hinamori sat down on the stool, Hitsugaya beside her, and resumed practice. The two kept at it all afternoon, and at the end of the day, Hinamori said goodbye to Toushirou. The piano lesson had been so interesting that Hinamori hadn't reminded Hitsugaya about the history lesson until five.

"Practice!" he called. "If you don't, I'll kill you, bed wetter Momo!"

"Whatever, Shirou-chan!" the girl laughed, and she ran home before Hitsugaya could reply.

"I'm home!" Hinamori called out, but no one answered. Taking her school bag off, Hinamori proceeded to enter her own messy living room. At that moment, her eyes caught something in the lower left corner. A piano. She remembered her piano teacher's words, "You've more or less learned the basics, but just try not to bang on the piano keys." These words inspired Hinamori to do better. Extracting her piano books from her school bag, the girl practiced piano until it was dinnertime.

A/N: Thanks for reading. Please review, and if you find any spelling or grammatical errors, please tell me!

_Japanese Dictionary:_

_-chan, -san, -kun: -chan is addressed towards girls or kids who are around the same age. –kun is the same for boys (or kids), and –san is a polite form for both genders of any age._

_Souka: I see_

_Baka: Idiot_

_Sensei: Teacher (e.g. Aizen-sensei literally 'Teacher Aizen')_

_Oka-san: Mother_

_Shirou-chan: Hinamori's nickname for Hitsugaya. 'Shirou' means white, but as it's a nickname, 'Whitey-chan' would be more accurate._

_Shunpo: In this story, it's a flash attack, but in the anime/manga it means flash steps._

_Ano: Um_

_Iie: No_

_Gomen ne: Sorry_


	6. Chapter 6: Broken Routines

Chapter 6: Broken Routines

Disclaimer: I _wish _I could own Bleach, I _want _to own Bleach, but I don't, so there.

A/N: Not much to say. Read and enjoy!

As the weeks went by, Hinamori slowly got into a routine. Go to school, come back, do homework, practice piano, have some fun, chat to her friends on the telephone, read, have dinner, practice more piano and be in bed by 12 am. This routine continued until one evening, Mrs. Hinamori looked at her daughter.

"Momo-chan, don't you think it's time you started planning?"

Hinamori was silent for a moment as she finished a fluent F major scale. That done, she turned to face her mother. "For what?"

"Your birthday party, of you, don't you remember?" Mrs. Hinamori held up her hand. "Friends, birthday cake, games, music, food…" she counted, ticking each item off with her fingers.

"Oh yeah…it's my birthday in two weeks time…" Hinamori said. "And I really need a break. I can take advantage of this opportunity…" closing the piano, Hinamori brushed her teeth and got her birthday invitations ready, wondering all the time who she was going to invite…

**The next day**

"Oh yeah, your birthday is in two weeks time," Rukia recalled. "On the 20th of October, right?"

"Yeah," Hinamori replied. "Which guys do you think I should invite?" although she blushed a little, Hinamori stood her ground.

"Hm…up to you, really," Isane said. "You should invite Ichigo, Rukia likes him."

"N-no, I don't!" Rukia retorted. "There's nothing between us!"

"In denial, as usual," Tatsuki teased.

"In that case, let's invite Ishida, too! He and Ichigo are good friends!" Inoue added.

"Which other guys do you plan on inviting?" Isane asked.

Hinamori blushed. "Maybe Renji-kun, Kira-kun and…ano…Hitsugaya-kun."

"I thought you hated the guy," Tatsuki blinked, confused.

"Well, you'd start to become fond of a guy if he were your piano teacher for a month," Hinamori said defensively, then covered her mouth as she realised what had just slipped out.

"So you like the baka now?" Tatsuki grinned. "Hinamori's finally into guys!"

"Meaning that you're into guys too?" Hinamori retorted weakly.

"No, just saying you are," Tatsuki smiled sweetly while her friend made a face. At that moment a blur caught Hinamori's eye, and breaking away from her group of friends, the girl ran the rest of the way to school, yelling, "Hitsugaya-kun!" she suddenly disappeared, and everyone stared.

"Yup, Hinamori-chan's lost all her marbles," Rukia said coolly.

"Because of Hitsugaya-kun?" Inoue asked innocently.

"Because of Hitsugaya-kun," Isane confirmed, tutting.

**With Hitsugaya**

Using Shunpo, Hitsugaya skimmed his way to school, watching people flash by him. Look at them, carrying out normal, care-free lives. On his way, he saw Hinamori blushing.

_What for?_ He thought, then heard her voice, "Hitsugaya-kun!" the boy immediately slowed down only to let Hinamori run past him, Shunpo style.

Hitsugaya couldn't believe his eyes. Hinamori was using Shunpo! Guessing the reason, Hitsugaya ran, ignoring the murmurs of the people.

"Hinamori, stop! I'm right behind you!" the boy yelled.

He watched as the girl turned, and to his shock, stopped. Abruptly. Collision was inevitable.

"Oof," Hitsugaya crashed into Hinamori, and there was so much force that the two flew through the school gates and landed, Hinamori on top. Students surrounded the odd couple before realising who it was, laughing and returning to their business. Seeing Hinamori, Ichigo, Chad and Keigo hurried over. Ichigo reached out a hand to help Hinamori up.

"Gee, are you okay? That was a rough land-" the orange head stared at the white hair underneath Hinamori's chest and guessed who it was.

"Actually I think I should leave you to have your…um…fun time," Ichigo said, smirking. "Bye then."

"Wait, it's not what you think!" Hinamori yelled, but Ichigo and co. had already left. She took the chance to roll off Hitsugaya, who was half-suffocated.

"Gomen ne," she muttered sheepishly. "Should I take you to the nurse's?"

"No, I'm fine," Hitsugaya said, getting up and brushing himself off. "You do know that you've got Shunpo now?"

"What? Was that when I felt light-footed…almost like the Greek messenger Mercury?" Hinamori asked.

"If you see it as that, yes. It's probably because of the reiatsu, or spiritual energy I give off when I demonstrate piano for you," Hitsugaya shrugged. "All my students have Shunpo, you know? Because of me. You have to be emotional when you play. And…to use Shunpo, you have to feel like you really want to run."

"Hontou ni?" Hinamori felt like she was in another world. Getting Shunpo from someone else whose reiatsu 'overflowed' when they played piano? How ridiculous.

At that moment the bell rang and everyone hurried to their classes. It was only when the teacher was in the classroom that Hinamori remembered about the invitation. _I'll just tell him when we have our piano lesson later, _she thought, and left it at that.

**After school, at Hitsugaya's place**

"Hitsugaya-sensei, I need to ask you something," Hinamori began, twiddling her thumbs nervously.

"Fire away," Hitsugaya grunted as he opened the piano. Hinamori watched his white hair and piercing blue-green eyes for a moment before she spoke.

"I'm having a birthday party in two weeks time, and I was just wondering…if you could come, too. The details are in here," she held out the invitation.

Hitsugaya took the invitation awkwardly. He had never gone to a birthday party after the car accident because it had been his birthday then, but somehow, this seemed different. Hinamori was so care-free and fun-loving; it was hard to not get in the mood, too. He nodded, attempting a smile.

'Sure, I'll come," he said, trying his best to be enthusiastic. "When is it?"

Hinamori laughed, putting her teacher at ease. "Thanks for trying so hard to be enthusiastic, Shirou-chan," Hinamori smiled. "It should be on October 20th."

"Don't call me Shirou-chan!" Hitsugaya gritted his teeth. "Bed wetter Momo," he added, grinning in an annoying fashion.

"Whatever," Hinamori snorted, and then shrieked as she slipped on a piece of paper that had fallen off the table. She fell, but Hitsugaya caught her first, ending in a classic bridal kissing pose. Then time froze.

Hinamori gazed at Hitsugaya. Looking close, she realised that the boy's wild hair made him look good in a desperate sort of way, and his blue-green eyes gave him a cute, rebellious look. The tiny strand of white hair hanging in front of Hitsugaya's eye made Hinamori feel that there was so much to him that she didn't know. Hinamori started as her teacher leaned forward. Overwhelmed, the girl wrapped her arms around his neck.

At that moment the doorbell rang. Setting Hinamori on her feet, Hitsugaya rushed to answer the door, fingers running through his hair. What had he nearly done? Opening the door, Hitsugaya sighed. The mail. Just one with an 'URGENT' written on it. Ripping the letter open, the boy read the contents, getting grimmer and grimmer with each word.

Hinamori had been disappointed yet relieve when the doorbell rang. They had been so close to kissing…but then again, maybe Hitsugaya wasn't the one for her…

The girl snapped back to reality as her piano teacher returned, looking grim.

"Gomen ne, I'm afraid I won't be able to attend your birthday party," Hitsugaya said.

Hinamori blinked. "Why not?" she asked.

"I've been invited to a piano contest which is in two weeks time, on exactly the same date as your birthday party," Hitsugaya replied apologetically, then turned business-like. "But then again, I've never liked birthday parties…"

"You're so ungrateful sometimes," Hitsugaya turned in surprise to see his pupil shaking with fury.

"I don't mean it that way," Hitsugaya protested desperately.

"Yeah right, as if you mean anything at all! Just go mope around with your piano affairs, won't you? Don't bother about me!" Hinamori snapped.

"Now that you mention it, I think I'll do just that, bed wetter Momo," Hitsugaya said coldly. "I was such a fool for thinking that you could be such a good student after all."

Hinamori ran out of the room too angry to shed tears. At least they hadn't kissed; Hitsugaya was too cold and distant. Now her routine was truly broken.

Hitsugaya heard the front door slamming. Sighing, he went back to the piano and played a piece, his fingers skimming over the notes as he weaved a sad, mournful tune. He had to stop thinking about Hinamori. He just had to.

A/N: Thanks for reading. Please review, I'll be really happy if you do so! looks hopeful

_Japanese Dictionary:_

_-chan, -kun, -san: -chan is used for girls or kids who are around the same age as the speaker. –kun is the same but for boys (or kids), and –san is a polite form for both genders at any age._

_Ano: Um_

_Baka: Idiot_

_Shunpo: In this fanfic, Shunpo is a flash attack, but in the anime/manga, Shunpo means 'flash steps'._

_Gomen ne: Sorry_

_Reiatsu: Spiritual energy_

_Hontou ni: Really_

_Sensei: Teacher (e.g Hitsugaya-sensei literally 'Teacher Hitsugaya)_

_Shirou-chan: Hinamori's nickname for Hitsugaya. 'Shirou' means 'white', but since it's a nickname, 'Whitey-chan' would be more accurate._


	7. Chapter 7: Accidents

Chapter 7: Accidents

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, I really appreciated them. Thanks for telling me about the Greek messenger thing, Orider, I'll try not to make that mistake again (I won't actually repost). Hermes…Greek…Mercury…Roman…anyhow, just to tell you, if you think this fanfic will be centred on piano playing, it isn't really. In a way, it's like Hikaru no Go. It's not all about Go, more about Hikaru's progression in life, etc (another reason why I changed the title). That's all I have to say. Enjoy this chapter!

After the argument, Hinamori and Hitsugaya avoided each other, only speaking when absolutely necessary. They weren't, however, the only ones affected.

"Hinamori-chan, you seem depressed today," Tatsuki observed as they gathered for lunch. "How come?"

Hinamori sighed, picking at her sushi. There was no point in hiding it anymore. "Hitsugaya and I had an argument."

"Oh come on Hinamori, that's petty! If you could make up with him, maybe he would forgive you!" Inoue advised, and her friend snorted bitterly.

"As if there's anything I should apologise for," Hinamori said. "He's the one at fault! Why should I apologise for what he's done?"

"If that's how you feel, then we leave it at that," Rukia said uncomfortably. The rest of lunch passed by in silence, and Hinamori was left feeling no better than before.

**With Hitsugaya**

Despite his inner protests, Hitsugaya attended the 'boy get together' at lunchtime. _You just need to be up to date with what other guys think,_ Hitsugaya told himself.

"I'm the best at playing piano around here, aren't I?" one boy said, looking around proudly. "I'm going to impress Hinamori with my skills. She learns piano too, doesn't she?"

"You baka! Don't you remember? Hitsugaya's the best piano player here, and he's already got Hinamori!" Ichigo smirked. "You know about that incident, right, Ishida?"

The blue-haired boy pushed his glasses up to his nose and nodded. Hitsugaya exploded; he'd heard enough.

"There is nothing between Hinamori and I," the boy spluttered.

"Whatever you say," Keigo grinned. "In any case, you seem to be more distant with everyone. Is it because you broke up with Hinamori?"

"Good for me," the boy who had first spoken grinned. "That means that there's nothing standing between Hinamori and me now!"

"In your dreams," Hitsugaya muttered angrily before storming off.

"See Daisuke? I told you he still liked Hinamori," Ichigo smirked. The subject then turned to sports, and soon everyone had forgotten Hitsugaya.

**Two weeks later**

"Happy birthday, Hinamori! I hope you'll enjoy my present!" Inoue squealed, hugging Hinamori. "We're going to have so much fun today!"

"Yeah, thanks," Hinamori smiled but couldn't help feeling a little disappointed. Why? An image of a boy with wild, white hair and blue-green eyes appeared in her mind, and Hinamori shook her head. She couldn't think of him today.

**With Hitsugaya**

He had invited all of his students to watch the contest. Except for one. Hinamori Momo.

The pianist scratched his head, annoyed. Every time he thought about something, his piano student would pop into his head. He couldn't afford to think of her now, not with the contest at hand. Straightening his tie, Hitsugaya walked across the road, not noticing the car coming at full speed towards him until it was too late. Before he was hit, however, Hitsugaya spotted the triumphant face of the driver and did not like what he saw. The license plate caught his eye before he was plunged into darkness.

**At Hinamori's birthday party**

"Hey, birthday girl, let's play a game!" Kira yelled. "How about some cheesy one like truth or dare or spin the bottle?"

"Sounds good, Kira-kun," gathering everyone around, the girl fetched a bottle. When she came back, she realised someone was missing.

"Where's Renji-kun?" Hinamori asked as everyone sat in a circle.

"Stuffing his face at the buffet table," Isane laughed. "Renji really likes eating, remember?"

"Oh yeah…" putting the bottle in the middle, Hinamori spun it, suddenly wishing that Hitsugaya were here.

"Oh, the bottle landed on you, Daisuke!" Ikkaku grinned. "Man, it's your lucky day!"

"Isn't it?" getting up eagerly, Daisuke suddenly announced, "Before that, I will impress you all with my wonderful piano playing and show you that I'm better than Hitsugaya!" Opening the piano, the boy sat down and began to play 'Sonatina in C Major' by Mozart. Having heard Hitsugaya play this famous piece as well, Hinamori sat quietly and listened.

Daisuke was well acquainted with his piece, but Hinamori felt that he played too heavily. There was no loud or quiet, and without the pedal the piece sounded plain. On the other hand, Hitsugaya played a much sweeter, richer sound. His hands moved gracefully on the keyboard, long fingers stroking the keys, coaxing the notes out.

Hinamori suddenly felt a pang of guilt. Since their argument, she had not bothered to practice the piano. It had reminded her too much of her piano teacher. Although her fingers longed to touch a keyboard again, Hinamori had refrained from fulfilling her wish.

At that moment the last chord sounded and everyone clapped. Hinamori joined in the applause, her hands clapping mechanically.

"See, I'm better than that Hitsugaya, aren't I?" Daisuke boasted. "I'm more worthy of you than him, Hinamori Momo!"

"No, you're not," Hinamori hissed angrily. "And you never will be!" Murmurs went round the room as the boy tried to regain his composure.

"Fine," he said at last. "But I still get your first kiss-on the lips!" Daisuke leaned forward and Hinamori instinctively took a step back, wishing that she could suddenly disappear. The boys were cheering in the background, but the girls booed; they obviously thought of her and Hitsugaya as a couple.

Before the two could make contact, however, Mrs. Hinamori rushed into the living room. Oblivious to what she had just interrupted, Mrs. Hinamori turned the TV on.

"Honey, you've got to listen to this!" she wailed.

Relieved that she wouldn't have to kiss Daisuke, Hinamori sat on the couch, and everyone followed suite. The girl couldn't help being pleased at Daisuke's scowl. Mrs. Hinamori seemed to have turned on the news.

"Today at 2:30pm the famous fifteen year old pianist Hitsugaya Toushirou was hit by a dark blue SUV that drove past a red light. There are no witnesses who saw the driver's face or the license plate. Hitsugaya Toushirou has been taken to the Red Cross Hospital and is currently staying there, unconscious. That's the news round for 5:30pm, have a good evening," said the reporter.

Hinamori could not believe her eyes. Hitsugaya had been hit? And on her birthday, too! Tears threatened to spill. "Guys, I'm going out!" the girl called. "You can do whatever you want while I'm gone. Gomen nasai." And with that, Hinamori disappeared.

The Red Cross Hospital was too far away for her to run. She could catch a taxi, but she didn't have any money on her. How about Shunpo? The girl tried running a few steps but nothing happened. Defeated, Hinamori sank to her knees. She had never felt this helpless before.

Hitsugaya suddenly appeared on the streets, hair blowing in the wind, eyes fixed on her. A golden shimmer outlined his body.

"In order to use Shunpo, you have to feel the absolute need to run," Hitsugaya said. This said, the boy began to disappear. Hinamori stood again, determined. If she didn't see Hitsugaya now, he would probably die first. She didn't want that! At once Hinamori felt lighter. She felt the desirable urge to run, to feel the wind whipping through her hair. Soon Hinamori was skimming her way to the Red Cross Hospital.

Five minutes later found Hinamori in front of the Red Cross Hospital. Wasting no time on dawdling outside, the girl rushed into the hospital and stopped at the reception.

"Excuse me, can I see a Hitsugaya Toushirou?" Hinamori panted.

"I'm sorry, but only close relatives are allowed to see him," the nurse said calmly.

"I'm his sister," Hinamori blurted out desperately. "I need to see him, please!"

"Hitsugaya Toushirou is on the third floor in the ward to the very right, but-" Hinamori was already gone, making her escape in the lift.

Hinamori crept into Hitsugaya's room. It was dark save for a small desk light. Tiptoeing to the boy's bedside, Hinamori watched him in silence. Hitsugaya was nothing like the person he was in his waking hours. His eyebrows were relaxed, his mouth slightly open. Hitsugaya looked peaceful and…vulnerable.

_Vulnerable enough to get hit by a car,_ Hinamori thought sadly. A piece of paper pinned to the bed suddenly caught her eye, and looking, she started. "_In Coma"._

"No, Shirou-chan!" Hinamori cried. She fell to her knees, sobbing. "Wake up, wake up!" Hinamori yelled, beating her fists against his chest. She continued to cry even after the nurses had come in and dragged her away from Hitsugaya's sleeping body.

A/N: Thanks for reading. Please review!

_Japanese Dictionary:_

_-chan, -san, -kun: -chan is addressed for girls or kids who are around the same age as the speaker. –kun, is the same, but for boys (or kids). –san is a polite form for both genders of all ages._

_Baka: Idiot_

_Gomen nasai: Sorry_

_Shunpo: In this story, Shunpo is described as a flash attack, but in the anime/manga it means 'Flash steps'._

_Shirou-chan: Hinamori's nickname for Hitsugaya. Although 'shirou' means 'white', 'Whitey-chan' would be more accurate in this case._


	8. Chapter 8: Affections

Chapter 8: Affections

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! There's not really much to say but…have a good read!

Although time had stopped for Hitsugaya, life went on for Hinamori. Every weekday she visited the pianist, honing her Shunpo skills in the process. Apart from that, school seemed strangely dull without Toushirou. Hinamori lived sluggishly through the days, only looking forward to when she would see Hitsugaya Toushirou lying peacefully on the bed, sleeping as if he hadn't a care in the world.

Everyone was affected by Hinamori's melancholy behaviour, even the teachers. One day however, the girl's life took a turn for the better.

"Hinamori-kun, if you could spare five minutes, please see me after the lesson," Aizen-sensei said as the class packed up. "I need to talk to you."

_For what?_ Hinamori thought. _Is my history that bad?_

"Hinamori-chan, we'll wait for you outside the classroom!" Inoue waved before dragging Rukia along with her.

"Ano, Aizen-sensei," Hinamori stammered. "What do you want to talk to me for?"

"Nothing bad, Hinamori-kun," the teacher smiled. "I've just noticed that your history is getting better. Have you been taking extra lessons?"

"Yes, with Hitsugaya-kun," Hinamori's face lit, then saddened as she remembered her piano teacher.

Aizen-sensei put a hand on his student's shoulder. "I'm sorry that Hitsugaya-kun was hit. He was a good student."

"He _is_ a good student," Hinamori corrected her teacher fiercely. "Hitsugaya-kun's not going to die!"

"Of course he isn't, no," Aizen-sensei then turned serious. "Until Hitsugaya-kun comes back, why don't you take extra history lessons with me instead?"

"Okay," Hinamori smiled genuinely for the first time in the last month. "Friday, 2:30-4:30pm, right?"

"You still remember after all this time? I'm honoured," Aizen-sensei took a mock bow, laughing. Hinamori joined in, feeling more and more at ease with her teacher.

"Well then, I'll see you in two days time," Aizen-sensei said at last. "You're dismissed."

"H-hai," Hinamori said, then waved goodbye to her teacher. For the rest of the day the girl talked of nothing but Aizen-sensei. It seemed as if a great burden had been lifted off her shoulders.

**After school**

"Ja ne!" as Hinamori waved goodbye to the last of her friends, she took a few steps down the street leading to her house before turning around, frowning. She had almost forgotten about Shirou-chan! What had made her forget? Never mind. Effortlessly using Shunpo to get to the Red Cross Hospital, Hinamori entered and was greeted by the reception.

"Hitsugaya Toushirou, I presume?" a nurse asked, smiling.

"The usual, Kobayashi-san," Hinamori returned the smile. "Don't worry, I know where to go."

"You better," the nurse laughed as the lift doors opened, admitting the sixteen year old.

A few seconds later Hinamori stepped out of the lift and spotted a tall figure hovering above Hitsugaya's bed. Wondering who it could be, Hinamori ran into the room to see an orange-haired woman with a huge bosom. The two stared at each other for a moment before the orange-haired woman spoke.

"Are you a fan girl?"

"As if!" Hinamori snorted. "I'm Hitsugaya-kun's neighbour and piano student!"

"Hontou ni? I'm his piano student as well! I'm Matsumoto Rangiku; pleased to meet you," Matsumoto held out a hand and Hinamori shook it.

"I'm Hinamori Momo, pleased to meet you too." At that moment Hinamori saw a huge bucket with cleaning supplies slung over Matsumoto's shoulder. "If you don't mind my asking, what's that bucket for?"

"This?" the orange-haired woman glanced at the bucket. "I'm going to Hitsugaya-sensei's house to clean his place up. I've already procrastinated for a week," Matsumoto grinned. "And since I stole his keys for fun on that day…" she gulped hard. "I'm the only one who can get into his house now."

"I've got an idea," Hinamori said. "Why don't you give the keys to me? I can clean the house from now on."

Matsumoto glanced at Hinamori suspiciously. "I've just met you. How do I know you're not a thief of some sort?" she accused.

Hinamori thought for a moment. "Alright, can I come along with you, then?" she asked sweetly.

Matsumoto relented. "Alright," she answered gruffly. "But if you get into any funny business, I'll kill you." The woman smiled. "Let's leaved Hitsugaya-sensei in peace, then."

"Hai," Hinamori said, following Matsumoto out the door.

"Can you use Shunpo?" Matsumoto queried.

"Yes," the girl replied.

"I'll race you to Hitsugaya-sensei's house, then," with that said, Matsumoto disappeared, and Hinamori followed. The two raced down the stairs and out into the streets. Eventually Hinamori pulled ahead of Matsumoto and flew the rest of the way to Hitsugaya's house. A few minutes later Matsumoto joined Hinamori at the door, bent over, hands on her knees.

"How'd you get here so easily?" the orange-haired woman panted.

"Shunpo, but I run from the hospital to my house everyday, so I'm used to it. My house is just across the street." Hinamori said and pointed.

"Well, in that case…" Hinamori caught the keys and bucket in surprise. "Can you help me do my chores today? I'm really busy."

"Then you ran here for nothing, Matsumoto-san!" the girl protested.

"I needed some exercise," the older woman shrugged. "So can I trust you with this laborious task?" she grinned.

"You can count on me. In fact, can I take over for you?" Hinamori asked.

"Sure, you can keep that bucket. Ja ne and thanks!" Matsumoto waved before disappearing.

The girl opened the door and took a step back in surprise. This was not Hitsugaya's house. Or was it? Cobwebs were in every corner visible to the naked eye and all the curtains were drawn, making the place dark. Taking a deep breath, Hinamori entered and began her work.

Two hours later Hinamori finished. Wiping the sweat off her brow, the girl gazed with satisfaction at the spick and span house. But she didn't want to leave yet. Curious, Hinamori explored the house, passing through the kitchen, living room and toilets into the bedroom…where she found something interesting on the night-table.

_I didn't see this before,_ Hinamori thought, holding the dust-covered present up. _I wonder who this is for?_

Then her eyes fell on the card beside the present: _To Hinamori Momo,_ it read.

Eyes filling with tears, Hinamori ripped the present open. Inside was a small dragon plushie with red eyes, small, sharp fangs, a beautiful white mane and a maroon body. Hugging the dragon, Hinamori opened the card, which read:

_Happy birthday Momo,_

_Sorry for all the trouble I gave you,_

_The dragon is for you,_

_Please take good care of her._

_Hitsugaya Toushirou_

"I'll call you Tobiume…that's such a nice name for a dragon like you," the girl choked, then knelt on the ground, sobbing softly. "Hitsugaya-kun…please come back…"

A/N: Thanks for reading. Please review!

_Japanese Dictionary:_

_Shunpo: In this story, Shunpo means 'flash attack', but in the anime/manga, it actually stands for 'flash steps'._

_-chan,-san,-kun: -chan is addressed towards girls or kids who are the same age as the speaker, and-kun is the same, but for boys (or kids). In this chapter (and perhaps others), however, you see Aizen call Hinamori 'Hinamori-kun'. Older men can call younger girls 'kun' as well…don't ask me why.–san is a polite form for both genders of all ages._

_Sensei: Teacher (e.g. Aizen-sensei, literally 'Teacher Aizen')._

_Ano: Um_

_Hai: Yes/Okay_

_Ja ne: Goodbye_

_Shirou-chan: Hinamori's nickname for Hitsugaya. Although 'shirou' means 'white', 'Whitey-chan' would be more accurate in this case._

_Hontou ni: Really_


	9. Chapter 9: My Own World

Chapter 9: My Own World

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, I really enjoyed reading them! In any case, just so that you know, this chapter's going to be rather short because it's in Hitsugaya's point of view. Personally this is one of my favourite chapters, but I think it's also a bit too dramatic…enough said. Enjoy reading!

* * *

My world is lonely and dark. When there was light, it simply happened to be an illusion. This world of mine is my refuge and my prison. My body won't move when I tell it to but I am still alive; I've heard the doctors confirm it. Is this a coma? If so, it feels like a living hell.

The only time I forget my troubles is when my students visit me, especially Hinamori Momo. I feel joy and pain when I hear her voice. Joy because she still remembers me and pain for being selfish and attending my contest instead of her birthday party. I wonder if my present ever got to Hinamori in the end…

Recently, however, Matsumoto has been visiting me the most. What has happened to Hinamori? _Don't be so self-centred, Toushirou, _I tell myself. _Hinamori's probably busy. She has her own life to lead. _But even then, I can't help feeling disappointed. Has Hinamori forgotten me so soon?

The nurses tend to me everyday. They giggle girlishly at me, and I am disgusted. Almost all of the nurses think I fancy them, but why should I? I've never seen them, let alone met them. All they do is whisper little nothings to me. The only nurse I favour is one called Yumi Kobayashi. From the way she treats me and what she says, I've concluded that she is a level-headed woman who doesn't daydream like the others do. Nurse Kobayashi treats me like an equal where others think I'm a child who just wants to be loved. The music they play here is extremely noisy and always put on at the wrong times, when I want to sleep. The piano pieces and classicals they occasionally play are soothing, but I'd give anything to hear a real piano played, not recorded on a CD, just played live. When will I ever touch those beautiful, smooth keys, hear those perfect, genuine notes again? Nobody knows.

Suddenly I hear the door opening. Who is it? My hopes rise, but sink again. My visitor is Matsumoto.

"Hello again, Hitsugaya-sensei," my student greets me, and I know her heart is heavy. "A girl called Hinamori Momo claims to be your student. Do you know her? She seemed innocent and trustworthy, so she cleans your house now."

"Matsumoto, you lazy baka," I scold my pupil mentally before listening to her rant on.

"I'm so sorry about stealing your keys, but it was just a silly joke, I wouldn't have done anything of the sort if I'd known what was going to happen to you. The others-you know, Yachiru, Yumichika, Nanao, they're all too busy, so I try to keep you company in their stead."

Although Matsumoto was being nice, I felt like strangling her! So that was where my keys had gone…

_Matsumoto, you'll regret the day you told me that. _I made a mental note to beat my pupil up and put it on my 'things to do when I wake up' list, which was getting longer and longer.

"Matsumoto-san?" my heart skipped a beat at the person who had spoken. It was Hinamori. She sounded happier, and because of that, I was happy. "Ano, can I speak to Shirou-chan for a moment?"

_Don't call me Shirou-chan!_ I mentally gritted my teeth in fury. _Bedwetter Momo!_

"You're on intimate terms with Hitsugaya-sensei?" my orange-haired student laughed, and I felt my vein pulsing. She should know what I wanted!

"Okay, I'll leave you two then. Ja ne, Hitsugaya-sensei!" well, in a way, she did know.

I hear Hinamori's footsteps as she approaches my bed. "Shirou-chan, when I cleaned your house, I found a present to me from you. I just wanted to say thank you, it's so cute. Tobiume is with me now, even as I speak. I'm sorry for being selfish when we had our last argument; I should've known how important the competition was to you. But let's move on to school now."

_Baka, _I think angrily. _Why are you apologising? You didn't do anything wrong._

"Aizen-sensei is so nice, you know. He even offered me those extra history lessons again! He also said I'd gotten better at history, Shirou-chan, so that means you're a good teacher after all!" I would have frowned and clenched my fists if I weren't in a coma. What was that mongrel doing to Hinamori now? At this point, I feel like pleading. Don't trust Aizen-sensei, Hinamori! Even trusting the boy who liked you, Daisuke, is better…

"Oh yeah, and before I forget…everyone's talking about an end-of-year-exams prom! Although there's no one I fancy at school…wake up, Shirou-chan, or else I'll have to go with someone else!" Hinamori joked nervously before turning solemn. I could see her sad, brown eyes and my insides tore.

"Please wake up, she whispered, touching my cheek and stroking my hair. "I've been practicing piano everyday since your accident, and even when Tobiume keeps me company at night, I can't help feeling lonely without you."

My heart was at the point of breaking. I wanted to tell Hinamori that everything would be alright, that I would wake up and take her to that cursed prom, even if my heart was set against it. But I couldn't. I felt like the helpless eleven year old I had been before-I could only watch as my loved ones slowly slipped away from me, disappearing one by one until I was left in my own world, whirling round and round until I had even forgotten who I was…

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading! Please click that little button on the lower left of the page and review! Although I won't change anything, please report any mistakes I might have made!

_Japanese Dictionary:_

_Sensei: Teacher (e.g. Hitsugaya-sensei literally 'Teacher Hitsugaya')_

_Baka: Idiot_

_-chan, -san, -kun: -chan is addressed to girls or kids around the same age as the speaker, and –kun is the same, but for boys (or kids). –san is the polite form for both genders and all ages._

_Ano: Um_

_Shirou-chan: Hinamori's nickname for Hitsugaya. Although 'shirou' means 'white', 'Whitey-chan' would be more accurate in this case._

_Ja ne: Goodbye_


	10. Chapter 10: Complications

Chapter 10: Complications

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. Also, for Rukia's, Isane's, Orihime's and Tatsuki's dates, the names are just randomly picked out, and I don't support all of them. Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Spring went by, and Hitsugaya was still in his sleeping coma. Hinamori was getting desperate; several guys had asked her to the prom, but she had turned each and every one of them down, hoping that Hitsugaya would wake up soon.

On the other hand, Aizen-sensei made school durable for her, laughing, joking, and treating her as if she were his little sister. Hinamori persevered by putting more effort into her history assignments and participating more in class. At lunch the girls would gather under their favourite tree and talk about school and prom dates, the latter being a subject Hinamori disliked. All her friends already had dates: Rukia was going with Ichigo, Orihime with Ishida, and Isane with Hisagi. Even Tatsuki had been talked into going with Keigo. Hinamori, however, voted to wait for Hitsugaya to recover from his coma. Her friends thought otherwise.

"Come on, Hinamori-chan, get a date already," Isane begged. "Who knows when Hitsugaya-kun will come back?"

Hinamori shook her head, stubborn as ever. "Iie, I can't give up on Shirou-chan just like that. What if he wakes up tomorrow?"

"What if he wakes up next year?" Tatsuki retorted. "Just do what Isane said, you can't wait for him forever."

"Well, I will," Hinamori folded her arms. "I'll even skip this prom if I have to."

"You'll be missing out on a lot of stuff, then," Inoue warned. "Are you sure you want to wait for Hitsugaya-kun?"

"Yes!"

"You want to change your mind anytime soon?"

"No!"

"Just leave Hinamori alone-it's her life," Rukia said at last.

"Gomen ne, Hinamori-chan, can I speak with you for a moment?" the speaker was Daisuke.

Seeing her 'number one fan', Hinamori quickly put on her fake smile. "Sure," she replied. Brushing grass of the seat of her skirt, Hinamori followed Daisuke to a quiet spot far away from eavesdroppers.

"Hinamori, what do you see in Hitsugaya?" Daisuke asked exasperatedly, shaking the girl. "Is there something special about him?"

Hinamori was taken back by this question. "Well, um…no, but…I'm just not very familiar with anyone else, so I want to wait for Hitsugaya-kun."

"What if he isn't the one for you? What if he never wakes up?"

"Don't say that!" the girl hissed.

"Well, you can't run away from possibilities forever!" Daisuke softened. "I'm sorry, but I'll ask you one more time…will you go with me to the prom? We can get to know each other better then. If you decline, I'll take the hint."

Hinamori thought for a moment. Daisuke was right-when would Hitsugaya really wake up? But at the same time, she didn't want to give up on Shirou-chan…

"Daisuke-kun, I can't really decide now…can I tell you later?" Hinamori asked nervously.

"Sure," the boy smiled, and the bell rang. "We better get going or we'll be late for class!" Saying goodbye, Daisuke ran off, leaving Hinamori in a daze. He was finally getting to her.

**In class period**

"These are all the letters for your parents today," Kominara-sensei announced. "Oh, and there's one more thing. Before the end-of-year-exams prom, we will also hold a Summer Talent Show. All you have to do is sign up on the sheet outside on the bulletin board and turn up for the auditions. Any questions?"

The class murmured, and Rukia raised her hand. "Kominara-sensei, what time are the auditions, and when are they held?" Hinamori looked at her friend in surprise-Rukia had never had a thing for talent shows before.

"They're held a month from now, on a Friday from 2:30-5:30pm." Kominara-sensei smiled. "Who is planning on signing up for this talent show? Remember, anyone who wins will get tickets for two to Osaka. Acting, dancing, singing, instruments, we accept them all!"

Hinamori's eyes flickered with interest. A trip to Osaka? If she won that, she could treat Hitsugaya…

_Stop daydreaming, _the girl told herself. _I can't go for the auditions, and even if I did, I probably wouldn't win…_

At the end of the lesson Hinamori joined her giggling friends in deep thought. She came back to the present as she heard Tatsuki calling her…

**Flashback**

"_Hey Hinamori-chan, come here!" Everyone was crowded around the bulletin board. Seeing her friends beckoning to her, the girl joined the group._

"_You know that Summer Talent Show? We all think you should join," Inoue said, and Hinamori broke out into a sweat. This did not bode well for her._

"_And do what? Kill myself with the splits?"_

"_No, play piano! What else?"_

"_But this clashes with my history lesson!"_

"_You keep telling us that Aizen-sensei is nice! Well, if he is, he'll let you off just this once!"_

"_Fine!"_

**End of Flashback**

Hinamori grumbled as she remembered how her friends had forced her into signing up for the talent show. Her friends were such buggers at times…oh yes, today was 'cleaning Shirou-chan's house' day. Grabbing her cleaning supplies, Hinamori entered the house. Upon seeing the piano, the girl had an idea of what she could play…maybe Shirou-chan could listen to her practice…forgetting about house-cleaning, Hinamori used Shunpo to get to the Red Cross Hospital.

**At the Hospital**

"Nurse Kobayashi, can I speak to you privately for a moment, please?"

"Sure, Hinamori-chan." Rising from the receptionist's desk, the nurse guided the girl into a room and bade her sit.

"Can I help you?" Yumi asked politely.

"First of all, I want to know how long Sh-Hitsugaya-kun can be unhooked from the machines for."

The nurse was taken aback. "What a strange question to ask! Maybe for about two, three hours…why? Have you found a way to wake him up?"

"I have an idea, but I'm not sure if it'll work," Hinamori said. "Do you have a piano here?"

"You mean a normal one? Yes, in the dining room for sick patients," Kobayashi Yumi scratched her chin. "I can see what you're getting at."

"So can you unhook Hitsugaya-kun from the machines tomorrow at three pm and put him in the dining room please? I want to practice my piano for him."

"Of course, anything for our patients," Nurse Kobayashi smiled. "See you tomorrow!"

"Thanks for everything! Ja ne!" Hinamori waved goodbye and exited the hospital, coming face to face with…Daisuke.

"I knew you would be here," the boy said angrily. "So are you coming with me to the prom or not?"

"Iie, I-" Hinamori screamed as her hair was yanked. Blood flowed from a wave-shaped wound in her wrist.

"Say yes," Daisuke hissed. "Or I'll beat you up and kill Hitsugaya."

"Y-yes, I'll go to the prom with you," Hinamori sobbed. She couldn't let anything happen to Hitsugaya.

The friendly Daisuke was back. "Good, I'll see you there," giving a mock wave, the boy ran around the corner and disappeared.

Hinamori sobbed, letting the blood flow freely. When she had regained her senses, the girl trudged home sadly.

_I'm sorry, Hitsugaya-kun," _she thought. _I won't be able to go with you to the prom anymore."_

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading! And just so that you know, the class Hinamori was having with Kominara-sensei and the notes, letters and everything is something known in my school as 'class period'. It's when your class teacher gives you notices for your parents and you talk about events, organising charity events, etc. I think of it as the free period class. In any case…please review!

_Japanese Dictionary:_

_Sensei: Teacher (e.g. Aizen-sensei literally 'Teacher Aizen')._

_-chan, -san, -kun: -chan is addressed towards girls (or kids) around the same age as each other. –kun is the same, but for boys (or kids). –san is a polite term for both genders of all ages._

_Iie: No_

_Gomen ne: Sorry_

_Shirou-chan: Hinamori's nickname for Hitsugaya. Although 'shirou' means 'white', 'Whitey-chan' would be more accurate in this case. _

_Shunpo: In this story, it means 'flash attack'. In Bleach, however, 'Shunpo' means 'flash steps'._

_Ja ne: Goodbye_


	11. Chapter 11: Miracles

Chapter 11: Miracles

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Hinamori was nervous all day. Would her plan really work? Would Shirou-chan wake up from his coma? There was only one way to find out.

All through the school day Hinamori could think of nothing else. Even her friends could not lead her away from her train of thought.

The long-awaited bell finally rang. Not waiting to say goodbye to her friends, Hinamori grabbed her school bag and ran out the classroom door. She had to wake her piano teacher up as soon as possible.

Skimming her way to the hospital, Hinamori entered the white building and, upon seeing Nurse Kobayashi, was led into the dining room. Hitsugaya was already there, lying quietly in a chair. He looked strange without the wires and machines hooked onto him. Sick patients stared expectantly at the newcomer, and Hinamori felt she should say something.

"Ano, I'll be practicing my piano here today, not only to entertain you but also to try to wake my friend up from his coma," the girl said nervously. Feeling more at ease, Hinamori put her piano book down and began to play, feeling strangely conscientious about her skills.

For a while all was silent. Nobody spoke as they listened to Hinamori play her piece, making mistakes and playing scales, hoping her audience would show some sign of her classmate waking up. This went on for two hours to no avail. When Hinamori stopped and her audience clapped, there was still no sign of Hitsugaya waking up. Resigned, Hinamori cleared her things up and prepared to leave. Maybe her playing wasn't good enough. Wait…was that movement she saw?

**Hitsugaya's P.O.V**

The nurses are bustling about. They've been telling me that I'm going to be moved to the dining room tomorrow morning for a surprise. As if I know when 'tomorrow morning' is. What do they want with me anyways?

Centuries seem to pass before the nurses come for me. I feel them picking my body up, giggling things like, 'Hitsu-dearie's so light!' and 'Does little Hitsie drink milk every day? He should!'. I feel my vein pulsing yet again. Their nicknames for me are even worse than Hinamori's 'Shirou-chan', and if the nurses want me to drink milk, they should give me milk! I sound like a baby.

The nurses suddenly deposit me in what seems to be a chair, as I am sitting upright. I also hear Hinamori's voice, nervous as ever. She seems to be addressing an audience and is about to play a piano! _Just get on with it,_ I think impatiently. _I need to see whether you're getting better or not._

To my surprise, Hinamori starts playing the C Major Sonatina by Mozart! Is this a dream? It doesn't seem like one.

The tune is sweet, but there is no loud of soft. That's Hinamori alright. I feel like smirking.

I listen to the music for a moment before it hits me. Hinamori is making mistakes, so why am I not correcting her? A part of me says it's the coma, but I ignore it. I want to play the piano, to see my students again! What will Matsumoto, Yachiru, Yumichika, Nanao, and all my other students do without me? I have to wake up!

The piano stops, and I hear clapping. Hinamori probably deserves it, but I have to show her what to improve on. I clench my fist and people gasp-what are they doing now?

Hinamori is suddenly beside me, shaking me. "Shirou-chan, wake up!"

I have heard enough.

**Normal P.O.V**

"Shirou-chan, wake up!" Hinamori pleaded. Had she really seen him clench his fist, or was it a trick of the light?

"Don't call me 'Shirou-chan', bedwetter Momo!" an all too familiar voice yelled. Everyone laughed and clapped as Hitsugaya jumped out of his chair, seething. He observed the room, blue-green eyes widening.

"I'm…awake?"

"Yes, and it's not a dream!" Hinamori cried with happiness, hugging the boy. "Welcome back!"

In the meanwhile nurse Kobayashi watched with a smile. When the ruckus had died down, she called, "Hitsugaya-san, could you please follow me for some check-ups now…?"

"I have to go," Hitsugaya said to his student. "Wait for me outside-I want to talk to you."

**After the check-up**

"Thank you for waking me up, Hinamori," the boy said as he pulled his shirt on. "Just so that you know, I heard everything you said during my coma."

"Oh yeah?" Hinamori blushed, thinking back to her talk of the prom.

"Yes, so I wanted to know…would you like to go to the prom with me?"

Hinamori's shoulders sagged, and she looked down. How could she tell her piano teacher that she had been bullied into going with someone else? Hitsugaya would probably laugh at her…she was about to turn away from her dream.

"Sorry, I-I'm going with Daisuke, he was so nice recently," Hinamori lied, spreading her palms open nervously. Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes.

"You're lying, aren't you? And what's that?" the boy pointed to his classmate's wrist, where her scar from Daisuke was. Hinamori quickly hid her wrist. Could she tell another lie now?

"Alright, the truth is, I never liked you that way," the girl said quickly. "And I got that scar from cleaning in your house." Her heart tore in two. How could she lie like this? _So I won't get Hitsugaya hurt,_ she decided sadly.

Hitsugaya turned away, his heart skipping a beat. So Hinamori had never loved him at all…maybe he should act as if he'd never heard that. He turned back to Hinamori, expressionless.

"Oh, I see…I guess I'll just ask someone else, then." The two were silent. Finally Hinamori said, "Do you know why I was playing that Sonatina?" Hitsugaya shook her head; he didn't say a word for fear that he would break down.

"It's for a Summer Talent Show I signed up for," the girl went on awkwardly. "I know I made a lot of mistakes, so I was just wondering…could you teach me again please?"

"Sure," how could he say no to this girl? "I'll do it."

"Hitsugaya-san, we suggest that your friend leave you so that you can get more rest," a nurse called. The pianist acknowledged this and bid farewell to his pupil. As Hinamori was about to leave, however, Hitsugaya caught her arm and spun her around.

"If you never cared for me," Hitsugaya said. "Why did you bother visiting me, cleaning my house and playing piano for me?"

Hinamori's eyes filled with tears. Turning away quickly, the girl mumbled, "Neighbour's concern," before running out of the room. She swore never to love Hitsugaya again.

After a while Hitsugaya exited, thinking. He would kill whoever had asked her to the prom and the person who had put a Despak on her wrist. Hopefully it wouldn't be put to use anytime soon…

**Two Weeks Later**

Hinamori practiced hard, and before long the day of the auditions had arrived. Although she was prepared, she still worried.

"What if I make a huge blunder or forget the music?" Hinamori asked her piano teacher as she waited for her turn.

"Don't worry, you'll do fine," Hitsugaya assured her. "If you panic like that you will mess up for sure. Just remember the tips I gave you and you'll pass with flying colours, I'm certain."

"Hinamori Momo," a voice called.

"Good luck," the boy said, and the girl smiled bravely as she marched into the room.

"Hello, Hinamori-chan. Aizen-sensei gave you permission to come here?" Kominara-sensei asked, and Hinamori nodded. "Alright, what are you going to do today?"

"The piano, Mozart's K545 Sonatina in C Major," Hinamori replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Oh, that's nice. Begin whenever you want," with that the teacher sat back.

Hinamori seated herself, calming herself down before putting her hands on the keyboard. _Better get this over and done with, _she decided, and began to play…soon she was done and the teacher clapped.

"Well done, check the bulletin board tomorrow for the results," Kominara-sensei said. "Ja ne."

**At Hitsugaya's House**

"Shirou-chan, I was so scared!" Hinamori buried her face in her teacher's chest, crying. "Even when I followed your advice, I still made mistakes." Hitsugaya's eyebrow twitched, annoyed, but he decided to ignore it. Comforting Hinamori was more important.

"Everyone makes mistakes, don't worry about it. I was scared, too."

"About what?" Hinamori stared, and Hitsugaya almost started. He'd nearly given himself away!

"Your-your playing. I was worried about that," the pianist stammered, and Hinamori glanced at him curiously. She had never seen her classmate this flustered before. Looking at Hitsugaya's shirt, the girl jumped back.

"Oh, gomen nasai! I've cried so much, your shirt is wet! It's as if you've been sweating!"

Hitsugaya shrugged, running agitated fingers through his hair. "I can always change later."

Glancing at her watch, Hinamori stood up, smiling weakly. "Well, I should be going home to start on my homework. Unless…I can accompany you?"

"If you want."

Hinamori needed no more encouragement. "Alright!" she sat down and extracted a huge pile of homework. "Let's start on English first."

The two enjoyed the rest of the afternoon in each other's company.

**The Next Day**

"Hinamori-chan, you passed the talent show auditions! Congrats!" Rukia grinned. "We knew you could do it!"

"Wha-? Lemme see," pushing her way to the front of the crowd, Hinamori gazed at the bulletin board. Her name really was there! Then her eyes travelled to the name below and then to the same person walking by, casually whistling a tune.

"Mou Shirou-chan, you didn't tell me you were trying out for the auditions, too! You're so mean!"

"Don't call me 'Shirou-chan', bed wetter Momo," the boy grumped. "And I didn't tell you because you didn't ask me."

But Hinamori was already hugging the boy. "We're in it together, we're in it together!" People passing by whistled. "Go, shorty!" Ichigo yelled, grinning.

And around the corner, someone scowled.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review!

_Japanese Dictionary:_

_-chan, -san, -kun: -chan is addressed to girls or kids around the same age as the speaker, and –kun is the same, but for boys (or kids). –san is the polite form for both genders and all ages._

_Shirou-chan: Hinamori's nickname for Hitsugaya. Although 'shirou' means 'white', 'Whitey-chan' would be more accurate in this case._

_Ano: Um_

_Sensei: Teacher ('Aizen-sensei' literally 'Teacher Aizen')_

_Ja ne: Goodbye_

_Gomen nasai: Sorry_

_Mou: Hey_


	12. Chapter 12: Social Issues

Chapter 12: Social Issues

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. This chapter is going to be fairly short, but I hope you'll find it good nonetheless.

* * *

The exams were over, and it was now the evening of the talent show. Hitsugaya Toushirou was busy preparing himself when the doorbell rang. Smoothing his shirt, the boy answered the door. It was Hinamori in a blouse and a navy blue skirt.

"Do I look okay?" Hinamori asked, her fingers twitching slightly.

"Yeah, but stay calm," Hitsugaya said, smiling.

"Thanks, I think you look good, too!" Hinamori smiled. "Come to think of it, what piece are you playing?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out," the boy answered evasively and Hinamori pouted. "Come on, let's go or we'll be late for the talent show." Hinamori nodded and the two started at a leisure pace up the street. Not much was said along the way, for both teenagers were nervous.

When Hinamori and Hitsugaya entered the assembly hall where the talent show was to take place, a dazzling sight met their eyes. People chatted and students rushed about. Babies and infants occasionally cried in their mothers' arms. On the stage to the far right was a Sauter piano. Smaller instruments and music stands were tactfully hidden in the wings, and a microphone was placed in the middle of the stage. It was obvious that singing of some sort was up first.

"Hey, over here!" Hitsugaya led Hinamori to a well-hidden room where all the performers were. They were just in time, for at that moment the M.C. came on and began the introduction. After that the talent show began.

One by one, people left the room to perform while the others sat in total silence, going over their performances in their heads. At last Hitsugaya was left in the room by himself. From what he had heard, Hinamori had done well, continuing even when she'd made mistakes. Now it was his turn. Taking a deep breath, the pianist opened the door and stepped into the spotlight, bowing as the people clapped. It had been a long time since he had played in front of a large audience. Naming his piece, Hitsugaya seated himself at the piano and began to play.

His audience was entranced; he could tell by the way they were silent. The boy began to enjoy himself as his fingers ran up and down the keyboard, playing scales. Then he thought about Hinamori and how she should win the prize. At the same time he recalled her telling him she really wanted to win the prize to treat him, and they would go to Osaka together. Oh well. Hitsugaya finished his piece with a neat chord and bowed once more as the crowd applauded, whistling. He exited the stage and was sent into another room where everyone else waited.

"Sugoi, Hitsugaya-kun!" Hinamori praised. "Which piece was that then?"

"Minute Waltz by Chopin," the pianist answered somewhat smoothly, trying to hide his blush. "And I did make quite a few mistakes."

"That's why I'm going to get first place," Daisuke said, coming up from behind the pair. Hinamori cowered, afraid that Daisuke would beat her again. Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes and glared at the intruder. The room turned cold. Hitsugaya was about to reply when a voice interrupted, booming through the speakers.

"We have three winners! In third place in Hinamori Momo, who played Sonatina in C Major by Mozart!" the audience applauded loudly. Hitsugaya and Daisuke glared at each other.

"In second place we have Daisuke Katashi who played Bagatelle Number Nine by Tcherepnin!" more applause. Daisuke scowled, then his lips curved upwards in a sneer. "Looks like you didn't even get into the top three!" he said.

"And, in first place…Hitsugaya Toushirou, who played the famous Minute Waltz by Chopin! Could the three winners please come out and bow?"

The audience cheered louder than ever as the three students came out and bowed. Hitsugaya, however, felt something was wrong. Daisuke seemed to be emitting a strange reiatsu…

The pianist leapt away in time as a clawed hand shot out at the place where his own wrist had been. Hitsugaya's eyes widened as the truth hit him, and the audience gasped.

"You…" the boy whispered furiously. Daisuke lifted his head. His eyes glowed yellow, and he grinned.

"Despak," Daisuke ordered, and a huge wave only visible to one with a strong reiatsu came his way. Hitsugaya dodged, and teachers came and surrounded Daisuke. But the boy was too quick, for he had run out of the assembly hall. All was quiet, and Hitsugaya was glad that nobody had seen a boy with glowing eyes and a huge wave, just an upset boy who didn't get first prize. Hitsugaya walked over to Hinamori, who was shaking. She had obviously seen everything.

"Are you ok?" he whispered, and the girl nodded weakly.

Nothing more was said until Hitsugaya had claimed his prize and the two had exited the assembly hall. He had a feeling that Hinamori and he wouldn't be going to Osaka after this.

**With Daisuke**

The boy ran as fast as he could. How could he have lost his temper like that? And in front of Hinamori, too! From the way she had been frightened, Daisuke could tell that she'd witnessed it all. What a pity Hitsugaya had seen his Despak…

The boy was so immersed in his thoughts that he didn't see Aizen-sensei until he bumped into him.

"Gomen nasai," Daisuke mumbled, but the teacher only beckoned for his student to follow. Confused, Daisuke obeyed. The two walked into a dark classroom, and Aizen shut the door after him. That done, teacher and student both took a seat.

"I've heard of your problems with Hitsugaya Toushirou and Hinamori Momo," Aizen-sensei started. "Please explain."

"I'm sorry, but I really like Hinamori-chan-"

"Say it from your point of view, emotions and all," the teacher interrupted, waving his hand.

The boy gulped. What was Aizen-sensei now? Some freaking school councillor?

"Sorry if I say anything offensive," Daisuke continued. "But Hitsugaya seems like such a goody-goody! He has practically everything-clothes, money, popularity, good looks, talent…Hinamori!

Aizen-sensei remained silent, so the boy went on.

"It's so unfair! What does Hinamori see in that baka? Even Despak, my secret weapon, won't work! Or rather, I don't want to use it on Hinamori…

"Don't worry, Daisuke-kun," Aizen-sensei said soothingly. "I'll help you get over this."

"Really? How?" Daisuke wondered how his teacher could know about such private affairs.

"Don't worry, just sit back and relax," Aizen-sensei repeated, smiling evilly. Daisuke felt his eyelids begin to droop.

_No, this can't be!"_ he thought. _I have to…resist…_

Then all was black.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading! As it's the second last chapter, please review!

_Japanese Dictionary:_

_Sugoi: That's great_

_-chan,-san,-kun: -chan is addressed towards girls (or kids) who are around the same age as the speaker. –kun is the same, but for boys (or kids). –san is the polite form for both genders, and it is used for all ages._

_Reiatsu: Spiritual energy_

_Sensei: Teacher (e.g. 'Aizen-sensei' literally 'Teacher Aizen')_

_Gomen nasai: Sorry_

_Baka: Idiot_


	13. Chapter 13: Final Showdown

Chapter 13: Final Showdown

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach I don't own Bleach I don't own Bleach I don't own Bleach…dang! Exactly how many times do I have to say it! I don't own Bleach!

A/N: Whew! Finally-the last chapter! This will be especially long, and I hope you enjoy it. Oh yes…there's still one more thing I have to say.

Sireylithey was wondering how Hinamori had managed to learn Sonatina in C Major in such a short time. Well, with enough practice, and with Hitsugaya pushing her on, she should be able to do it, even if she may not have learnt all the tricks to piano yet. This is plausible-I've done it before. Also, there are strong warnings of fluff. In any case, I'll stop ranting. Have a good read!

* * *

After the talent show incident Hitsugaya kept an eye on Daisuke. He couldn't risk having anyone else hit by Despak, not after Hinamori. Toushirou frowned. What was that mongrel planning to do with Hinamori? He had to keep his student out of this. Although questions and work was thrown at him all day, Hitsugaya kept his close observation on Daisuke until school ended, then went home and prepared for his prom. In the meanwhile…

"Nani! You still haven't got your prom dress?" Rukia exclaimed.

"I was so busy with the talent show and all," the girl protested. "I'm going to do my shopping today; the teachers didn't give us any homework."

"Oh, we can join you," Isane laughed. "You need to have someone keep your fashion sense in check!" Hinamori joined in the laughter.

"Alright," she said. "Let's go to the mall then. We have some serious shopping to do."

**At the mall**

"Wow, all these dressed look so good!" Inoue exclaimed, tugging at Hinamori's sleeve. "You should get that, or that, or that…"

"Yes, Inoue-chan, we know," Rukia said. "Let's go into that shop and take a look."

"Okay."

Hinamori entered the shop and looked around. These weren't dresses, these were shirts! Shirts that were strangely big, flowery and old. Also, the women inside the shop gave her odd looks. Realization hit Hinamori.

"Rukia, you baka! I said prom dresses, not maternity shirts!" the girl howled, and at the same time she heard raucous laughter outside. Exiting the shop, Hinamori looked at all her friends solemnly until the last of the giggles had subsided.

"Seriously, guys," Hinamori said. "Although we don't have homework, I want to get this over and done with. After that we can fool around, okay?"

"Yes, mommy," Tatsuki teased.

"Good girl," Hinamori broke out into a smile. "Let's go."

The group proceeded to enter shop after shop, Hinamori trying on dresses and getting her friends' opinions. Once or twice Isane and Tatsuki wandered elsewhere, but they were always nearby.

Two hours passed. Rukia had bought a blue bracelet, Inoue a pair of sea green crystal hairclips (which were rather expensive), Tatsuke new karate gi and Isane a Celtic CD, but Hinamori had nothing. The right prom dress for her was still out of reach. Something that would please Hitsugaya…Hinamori shook her head. She wasn't supposed to love Hitsugaya! He probably didn't love her back, anyway…

"Maybe we should turn back and get that bright orange dress with stiletto heels, that outfit matched really well," Inoue suggested.

Isane snorted. "As if, I think Hinamori plus bright orange dress equals to disaster, and those stiletto heels would kill her!"

At that moment Hinamori saw something that interested her. "I wonder," she muttered and entered the shop.

**That evening**

Hitsugaya was preparing for the prom when the doorbell rang. Straightening his tie, the teenager answered the door and just barely managed to stifle a gasp.

Hinamori was standing outside in a light pink dress with a small, white jacket draped over her shoulders. Around her neck she wore a dark blue crystal flower necklace accentuating her pale skin. On her feet she wore white sandals. Her outfit made Hitsugaya feel plain in his suit.

"Do you think I look set for the prom?" Hinamori whispered.

"You look great," a voice said, and the two whipped around to find Daisuke leaning casually against a lamp post, grinning. Toushirou clenched his fists-how had Daisuke turned up without knowing? He could usually sense his reiatsu…

"And if it isn't Hitsugaya Toushirou. Nice evening isn't it?" the newcomer then turned to Hinamori. "Let's go, or we might be late for the prom."

The girl nodded and followed her date, giving one last despairing look at Hitsugaya before heading to the school with Daisuke, arm in arm.

Hitsugaya thought for a moment before taking out a phone and leaving a message to a certain buxom woman. This done, he went back into his house to prepare.

**At the prom**

"Hinamori-chan, you look so pretty in that dress! You really chose well!" Rukia praised as the two passed by each other.

"Thanks! You look great in that turquoise dress of yours-and the bracelet!" Hinamori laughed. "Last minute shopping, last minute shopping…"

At that moment the room fell silent and all eyes were fixed on the entrance. Hitsugaya Toushirou came in, followed by an orange-haired woman wearing a lilac dress bulging around the chest area. Hinamori stared. Matsumoto-san?

"Hitsugaya-sensei, why did you tell me to come with you to the prom? You should have told me earlier, then I could buy another dress that's not so tight around the chest area!" the woman complained quietly to her teacher.

"I sense trouble here, so stop whining and act like a prom date," Hitsugaya hissed back, and Keigo took the opportunity to run up to the couple.

"So you like older women, eh Toushirou?" Keigo grinned and Hitsugaya felt his vein pulsing. He'd had a lot of those cases since he'd joined this school.

"Naw, Shirou-chan likes me for my chest," Matsumoto grinned and the boys 'oh'ed in understanding. Hinamori's eyes widened. 'Shirou-chan' was her trademark, curse it!

A slow song began to play, and Daisuke gripped Hinamori's wrist, causing her to flinch. "C'mon, let's dance," he said, and Hinamori nodded fearfully, letting him lead her onto the dance floor. Hitsugaya watched the couple, growling softly. Noticing the direction in which her prom date was looking, Matsumoto decided to take action.

"Ooh, koibito, a slow dance! Let's go!" Matsumoto literally dragged Hitsugaya onto the dance floor, squealing. "Let's dance, honey!"

"I said a prom date, not a ditzy prom date!" Hitsugaya hissed, extremely embarrassed.

"I really love it when your true sixteen year old half shines through. You're so uptight most of the time-let it go!" Matsumoto laughed, enjoying herself. "So kawaii, so innocent…" she leaned down and pinched his cheek. A few people snickered.

"I rest my case," Hitsugaya sighed, pushing his student's hand away. The two proceeded to dance along, Hitsugaya glancing at Hinamori every now and then to make sure that she was ok.

After two songs the music stopped, and the crowd began to mutter excitedly. Aizen-sensei entered the room, smiling. In his hands was a box carved from wood. The teacher walked to the platform in the room and stood on it, gazing at everyone. Hitsugaya gritted his teeth.

"Firstly, I would like to thank everyone for coming to this prom. The exams are now over, and summer vacation is near," Aizen-sensei began.

"Also, in this box I have two crowns-one for the prom king and another for the prom queen. We will judge from the next dance who will take these crowns home tonight. Begin dancing!" the students cheered loudly as the music began to play.

Hinamori danced with Daisuke, looking from time to time at Hitsugaya and Matsumoto. Why, she would've been in Matsumoto's place if Daisuke hadn't done all those things to her! She wondered if Hitsugaya really believed that she didn't love him…but she had vowed never to love him again.

"Your eyes seem to be straying," Daisuke broke into Hinamori's thoughts. "Do you love Hitsugaya Toushirou? Remember why you agreed to go with me to the prom," Hinamori looked at her date's now clawed hand as the music stopped. Hinamori tried to pull away, but Daisuke held her close.

"You monster," Hinamori whispered furiously as Aizen-sensei began to talk again.

"We have decided the prom results," the teacher announced. "This year's prom king and queen are…Hinamori Momo and Daisuke Katashi!"

"Oh no," Hitsugaya breathed as the two went on the platform. People applauded and cheered. "That man had better not hurt Hinamori, or I'll kill him!"

"Sensei, is that man the one you're after?" Matsumoto asked. Receiving no reply, the woman knew she was going to be doing some serious fighting. Matsumoto readied herself.

Aizen-sensei placed the crowns on the couple's heads and stood back, smiling. "And, as you all know, it is tradition for the prom king and queen to kiss." Shouts of 'Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!' rose amongst the crowd, and Hitsugaya watched in horror as Hinamori was forced into a kissing position by Daisuke. Hinamori's and Daisuke's lips came closer and closer, and then…

BOOM!

People fled the room, screaming as smoke engulfed everyone. By the time the room had cleared, Hitsugaya was holding Hinamori. His eyes blazed with fury.

"What are you trying to do with Hinamori, you idiot?" the boy snapped, and Matsumoto lifted her shield.

"Hitsugaya Toushirou," Aizen-sensei said, smiling evilly. "What a pleasant surprise."

"Stop pretending you're innocent, Aizen," Hitsugaya spat. "You ran me over on the day of my contest!" Behind him Hinamori gasped. Aizen scowled, and then turned calm again.

"Yes well, I can't sit around and watch my business get snatched away by some low class piano shrimp," the history teacher replied casually. "And I was doing this no good brat a favour." Aizen jerked his head at Daisuke who was lying, unconscious, on the floor.

"You…" putting Hinamori down on the floor, Hitsugaya then stood and held up his right hand. An ice-blue glow surrounded him.

"Set upon the Frosted Heavens, Hyourinmaru!" the boy yelled, and almost immediately a long sword with a blue hilt appeared in his right hand. Water and ice spurted out from the blade and formed to become an ice-blue dragon with glowing red eyes.

"Putting out your ace already?" Aizen smirked. "Get up, Daisuke; your master is calling you."

To Hitsugaya's surprise the boy stood up, swaying. Daisuke's eyes were lifeless.

"Use your weapon," Aizen ordered, and the boy's hand grew long, red fingernails. Daisuke's eyes glowed yellow.

"Despak," he whispered, and the all too familiar wave came at Hitsugaya, roaring wildly. The pianist lashed out Hyourinmaru and the two clashed in a furious battle, ice-blue against sea-green. When the uproar had died down, all that was left was a frozen wave.

"My turn, sensei," Matsumoto said as she raced towards Aizen using Shunpo. She disappeared and reappeared at the evil man's side, launching a kick, but Aizen was ready for her. He blocked and threw in a punch of his own. The orange haired woman managed to block, but as a result was knocked back.

"Matsumoto, leave it to me!" Hitsugaya yelled, lashing Hyourinmaru at Aizen, then stopped half-way in shock.

Daisuke's wave was going towards Hinamori!

"A-Aizen-sensei…" the girl trembled. Tears flowed down her cheeks.

"Hinamori, get away from there, it's dangerous!" Toushirou called desperately.

At that moment Daisuke's wave washed over the girl, smoke rising.

Hitsugaya could only watch in horror as the smoke clouded his vision. He did not linger too long, however, for the girl suddenly came out of the smoke and rushed at him with a sword in her hands. Hitsugaya dodged, mentally questioning his student-until she raised her head.

Aizen laughed as Hitsugaya's eyes widened. "The effects of Despak. I control Daisuke, and through him Hinamori. Dare you harm your own student?"

"You bas…fatherless child!" Matsumoto yelled, keeping her swearing in check. "Give Daisuke-kun and Hinamori-chan back! They're your students, too!"

"But I don't harm them," Aizen said. "I merely ask them to do things for me."

"More like force them," Hitsugaya retorted. "Give Hinamori and Daisuke back! Do your own fighting, you coward!" the boy dove at the teacher, but was blocked by Hinamori. Hitsugaya dodged, continued, and was blocked by Daisuke.

"Get away, dang it!" knocking the boy aside, Hitsugaya aimed at Aizen, Hyourinamaru roaring.

"Go to hell!" the pianist yelled, and lashed out his dragon. Aizen and Hyourinmaru met, causing a huge splash. When the dragon pulled out, Aizen was untouched. Hinamori and Daisuke, however, had been caught protecting the former history teacher and were frozen. Hitsugaya turned colder than ever. His eyes glowed ice-blue. Reiatsu burst out all around the boy, making his hair and clothes blow back and forth.

"How…dare…you…" he whispered, as Matsumoto quickly picked the two frozen bodies up and made her escape. "But now that my friends are gone, we can fight…for real."

"Indeed," Aizen smiled. He drew a gun out of the air and aimed it at Hitsugaya. "Bring it on."

Hitsugaya ran at his enemy, drawing his dragon back, preparing for a fierce attack. The teacher began to shoot, bullets hitting the walls and floor. The pianist launched Hyourinmaru, but suddenly had his sword knocked out of his hand.

"How…?" he whispered.

"Shunpo," Aizen was beside him. Hitsugaya took a kick and fell to the floor beside his sword. His enemy landed on the floor gracefully and held up his gun. "Time for you to go," the teacher grinned.

"A3741D!" Hitsugaya yelled, and Aizen paused, confused. The pianist took the opportunity to plunge his sword through the evil man's heart.

"That's your car's license plate, isn't it?" Hitsugaya asked in a deadly tone.

Aizen's look of shock and anger drew back into a calm smile. "Yes," he said, and fell to the ground as the boy felt a pain in his right arm.

Looking down, Hitsugaya found a bullet wound in his arm. "It's over," he whispered before falling to the ground beside Aizen's dead body.

_I'm glad that Hinamori's safe,_ the pianist thought before darkness engulfed him.

**2:40am **

Hinamori came to, head throbbing. Opening her eyes, she looked up to see Daisuke bending over her, eyes filled with worry. Hinamori sat up, looking around.

"Where…are we?" she murmured.

"Rangiku-san insisted we go to Hitsugaya-kun's house. She's gone to meet the police now, I'm here to take care of you, and I got rid of Despak, the wave-shaped scar I used to control you with. It's the least I can do after…" the boy lowered his eyes. "Gomen nasai."

"It's okay," Hinamori smiled, pulling her classmate into a friendly hug. "Thanks for everything, and you know what? Forget about me, there are lots of better girls out there…I'm sorry I treated you like that, Daisuke."

"Never mind," Daisuke looked away, searching for a new topic. "Tomorrow a doctor's coming to check your injuries-"

"Daisuke, you go home, it's really late," Hinamori interrupted. "You've been through more than I have in the past few days, you must be exhausted. I can take care of Hitsugaya."

"But you're-"

"Go," cowed by Hinamori's sudden hostility, Daisuke exited the house. Hearing the door close, the girl entered the next room where Hitsugaya was lying. Taking a seat, Hinamori sat beside her teacher and let her thoughts wander.

She had vowed never to love Hitsugaya. But could she go through life without him? She had run away from him, turned him down, attacked him…loved him. And she still did.

Hinamori gazed tenderly at Hitsugaya's sleeping body, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"Baka," she said bitterly. "Why did you fight for me, even after all I put you through?" Hinamori stroked Hitsugaya's hair, her fingers moving down to caress the pianist's face.

Hitsugaya stirred.

"Where am I?" the pianist's sleepy voice startled and relieved Hinamori.

"Shirou-chan, I'm so glad you're alive!" Hinamori cried, about to hug him, but the boy pushed her away.

"Why did you run away from me?" Hitsugaya asked, his questioning blue-green eyes searching Hinamori's brown ones. He had forgotten his previous question.

"I-I…" Hinamori began to cry, tears flowing down her cheeks. "You shouldn't have gone after me. You could have died," she whispered.

"Aizen would have taken over the city," Hitsugaya said sternly.

"Everyone's okay, the police are investigating the place now-" Hinamori began, but Hitsugaya hushed her.

"Don't change the subject, Hinamori," Hitsugaya said. "I want answers."

Hinamori shuddered before speaking. "I would have gone to the prom with you, but Daisuke hurt me with Despak first. I was forced to go with him, but I didn't tell you because I knew you'd laugh. Instead I told you I didn't love you," the pianist said nothing, and Hinamori went on. "I vowed never to love you because-I was afraid you'd get hurt. But in the end, you fought Aizen and got hurt anyway. And on top of that, I still loved you, but wanted to deny it. How could you-for me-?" the tears were streaming now, and Hitsugaya's heart wrenched. Sitting up with sudden strength, the pianist pulled Hinamori into a hug, ignoring the searing pain in his arm.

"I almost lost you," he whispered fiercely. "I need you by my side. Don't ever run away from me again, you understand?" he pushed Hinamori back and she nodded. "I promise."

And then it happened.

Soft lips pressed against Hitsugaya's. At first, the pianist was unsure of how to react, but then he closed his eyes and pulled Hinamori closer. Hitsugaya poured all his emotions into the kiss-desperation, frustration, passion, love. His left hand slowly roamed up to Hinamori's hair and undid her bun, smoothing the tangles in her black tresses as they came flowing down. He tapped Hinamori's lips with his tongue and she admitted him. Hinamori tasted like honey. Their tongues mingled with each other for a while before Hitsugaya pulled away for air. Hinamori clung to him like a doll. Still holding the girl, the pianist pulled her down with him onto the bed, sleep overwhelming them. Before Hinamori fell asleep, she heard Hitsugaya speak.

"Maybe we will be going to Osaka after all. And thanks to that book I was reading in our last detention, I know just where to go."

Hinamori smiled and snuggled closer to Hitsugaya. She was finally in a world where there were no Aizens, no Daisukes. Just one Hitsugaya. Her Hitsugaya.

**_End_**

* * *

A/N: Well, that's the last chapter of this story. Criticisms are welcome, although I won't actually change anything in the story. Please review!

_Japanese Dictionary:_

_Despak: In case you're still confused…Despak isn't really a Japanese word or term, but in this story it's a technique high-level martial artists can use. It involves inflicting the victim with a wound of any shape (in Daisuke's case, a wave), which is then used to control the victim. Despak can only be erased if the user wants it gone._

_Nani: What_

_-chan, -san, -kun: -chan is used for girls or kids around the same age as the speaker. –kun is the same, but for boys (and kids). –san is a polite form used for both genders of all ages._

_Baka: Idiot_

_Gi: Martial arts training outfit_

_Reiatsu: Spiritual energy_

_Koibito: Lover_

_Kawaii: Cute_

_Sensei: Teacher (e.g. 'Aizen-sensei' literally 'Teacher Aizen')_

_Shunpo: In this story, it means 'flash attack', but in Bleach, the term means 'flash steps'._


End file.
